Study finds smartphones are barely used for actually making calls

If you're reading this article on a smartphone then we can't say that we're surprised - barely anyone is using their phones to make calls anymore.

According to a new study of 2,000 smartphone users, we spend around 25 minutes a day browsing the internet on our handheld devices, with an additional 17 minutes on Facebook and Twitter.

By contrast, the average person spends just 12 minutes talking on the phone every day and only 10 minute sending text messages daily. In other words, when consumers buy a smartphone, it turns out that using it for calls is pretty low down on their list of priorities.

As David Johnson, General Manager Devices for O2 in the UK - which commissioned the research explains: "Smartphones are now being used like a digital ‘Swiss Army Knife’, replacing possessions like watches, cameras, books and even laptops.

"While we’re seeing no let-up in the number of calls customers make or the amount of time they spend speaking on their phones, their phone now plays a far greater role in all aspects of their lives.

"Smart technology has improved in dramatically with the camera, diary, email and social media hardware and apps where design attention has been lavished. Now that it’s so easy to use, there’s no surprise that consumers are switching to phones for these functions."