To end the year on a lighter note, @telecomwaring shares three amusing stories he stumbled upon while searching for more ordinary developments.

First up, according to a study of iPhone users by Columbia Business School, consumers become more reckless with their current devices, even when they are still fully functional, as the next upgrade cycle approaches.

The study authors – three professors of marketing, psychology and business – found “the availability of product upgrades (not just mere replacements) increased cavalier behaviour towards possessions”. The neglect, which they said can occur without deliberate intentions, included “accidentally” losing or breaking their iPhones to justify a new model without appearing wasteful.

Certainly great news for Apple’s bottom line….
payphone

Phone booth?
In Australia, the country’s largest operator Telstra, in the spirit of giving for the holiday, is offering free local and national calls from its payphones from Christmas Eve until 28 December. Yes, payphones.

The company still operates more than 16,000 payphones across the nation.

Stuart Bird, Telstra’s executive director of home and business products, boasted the payphone network spans the entire country, from major cities to remote areas including the Gibson Desert and Thursday Island.

With a SIM penetration of 126 per cent, according to GSMA Intelligence, you wouldn’t think many Australians would need to use a payphone. Seems the country’s mobile black spot programme still has lots of holes to fill.
iphone-7-water-resistance
Water damage
Liquid damage is the second-largest cause of harm to smartphones, accounting for more than a third of all device damage. Cracked screens, of course, are the top reason for repair.

IDC estimates about 100,000 smartphones are damaged by water or other liquids every day in Western Europe. Over a year the figure equates to more than 36 million devices, with the cost of repair in the region exceeding $10.7 billion.

It’s a huge number. To put it in perspective, the research firm expects 134 million smartphones to ship in Europe this year.

Little wonder water-resistant models are the fastest growing segment – expanding 45 per cent year-on-year and representing 23 per cent of total smartphone shipments in the first nine months of 2016. Samsung, Huawei, and now Apple with its new iPhone 7, offer this feature.

Have a wonderful 2017!

The editorial views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and will not necessarily reflect the views of the GSMA, its Members or Associate Members.