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Mobile Devices to Outnumber Humans by 2017
With Two-Thirds of That Total Being Smartphones
According to data from a firm named CCS Insight, the number of mobile devices worldwide will surpass the total number of people on the planet sometime around 2017. Over 6.6 billion mobile devices will be in use by the end of 2017, claims the firm, noting that two-thirds of those wireless devices will be smartphones (smartphones accounted for around 25% of all wireless devices last year). Smartphone shipments exceeded that of non smartphones for the first time ever during the first quarter of 2013. Click to enlarge the firm's infographic below:
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antdude
Matrix Ant
Premium Member
join:2001-03-25
US

antdude

Premium Member

I still don't own a mobile device today.

I rarely go out to need one. I just use hardwires like cable and copper line's dial-up (when cable goes down). Smartphone's Internet services are expensive for Internet that would be rarely used, and I rarely talk on the phone.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: I still don't own a mobile device today.

If you work you need a mobile phone. If you have kids you need a mobile phone.
How old are you that you never go out?

antdude
Matrix Ant
Premium Member
join:2001-03-25
US

antdude

Premium Member

Re: I still don't own a mobile device today.

said by FFH5:

If you work you need a mobile phone. If you have kids you need a mobile phone.
How old are you that you never go out?

I don't have children and baby goats. I am disabled. I do have copper phone lines though.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

1 recommendation

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: I still don't own a mobile device today.

said by antdude:

said by FFH5:

If you work you need a mobile phone. If you have kids you need a mobile phone.
How old are you that you never go out?

I don't have children and baby goats. I am disabled. I do have copper phone lines though.

Then you are correct in that a mobile phone is really not needed. But that applies to fewer and fewer people today.

tphillips
Premium Member
join:2009-02-04
Apopka, FL

1 recommendation

tphillips to antdude

Premium Member

to antdude
My children and I all have mobile devices today. Lets
not forget how we grew up, our parents at least mine, didn't have a mobile phone when taking trips. If you broken down you hiked it. When I went to school or to a friends house they knew where i was. I think we have a false sense of security with mobile phones ...myself included.

Is this a good or bad thing.

IMHO
Moffetts
join:2005-05-09
San Mateo, CA

Moffetts to antdude

Member

to antdude
What happens if your car breaks down? Payphones are hard to find, in my area at least.

antdude
Matrix Ant
Premium Member
join:2001-03-25
US

antdude

Premium Member

Re: I still don't own a mobile device today.

said by Moffetts:

What happens if your car breaks down? Payphones are hard to find, in my area at least.

I don't drive due to my disabilities. I do ride with other people and they have mobile phones.
Kamus
join:2011-01-27
El Paso, TX

Kamus

Member

not surprising.

It's really not surprising at all. Eventually electronic devices like this will be as common as pages in a notebook.

GlennLouEarl
3 brothers, 1 gone
Premium Member
join:2002-11-17
Richmond, VA

1 recommendation

GlennLouEarl

Premium Member

It should be OK

as long as they don't become self-aware.

MemphisPCGuy
Taking Care Business
Premium Member
join:2004-05-09
Memphis, TN

MemphisPCGuy

Premium Member

Re: It should be OK

said by GlennLouEarl:

as long as they don't become self-aware.

If they are being pumped thru PRISM aren't they already
Kamus
join:2011-01-27
El Paso, TX

Kamus to GlennLouEarl

Member

to GlennLouEarl
said by GlennLouEarl:

as long as they don't become self-aware.

Well, i don't know about pages in a notebook becoming self-aware. But I've read 2025 is the year we'll have the CPU power in some form or another.

exocet_cm
Writing
Premium Member
join:2003-03-23
Brooklyn, NY

exocet_cm to GlennLouEarl

Premium Member

to GlennLouEarl
said by GlennLouEarl:

as long as they don't become self-aware.

Cylons.

Squire James
@embarqhsd.net

Squire James

Anon

Mobile Yes, Smartphone No

I'm tech-savvy but I can't really afford to pay 2 Internet bills, and I use enough that I need a wired service. I do have a "feature phone".

My desire for a smartphone is more for developing apps than actually using it as a phone or Internet device. Unfortunately, no smartphone exists without a data plan, and that's the part I can't afford! As far as I know, there's no legal way to purchase a wi-fi only smartphone.

If I'm wrong please enlighten me!
clone (banned)
join:2000-12-11
Portage, IN

clone (banned)

Member

Re: Mobile Yes, Smartphone No

You can buy any phone you want for full retail price, just don't activate it!

»www.newegg.com/Unlocked- ··· id=19170

wmcbrine
join:2002-12-30
Laurel, MD

wmcbrine to Squire James

Member

to Squire James
An iPod Touch is very like a wifi-only iPhone. Or you might get by with tablets, and emulators to check for phone compatibility.

Probitas
@teksavvy.com

Probitas

Anon

they aren't that necessary

I have had a mobile on occasion, but generally they aren't that useful to me. More expensive than a land-line (even though signal is generally OVER those cheaper lines for the most part, just the radio broadcast to the tower, which is pretty short distance comparatively), just some convenience, which is balanced by the inconvenience of being tethered all the time to it unless turned off.

Unless you require them for job, they are kinda of an expensive recurring fee for little use. Especially if you intend to stream data, which is ridiculous unless you lucked into an unlimited data plan for cheap, and again, most of that stream is over old fashioned hard lines. That last mile apparently costs a lot to maintain considering it's a broadcast signal over the airwaves.
clone (banned)
join:2000-12-11
Portage, IN

clone (banned)

Member

Re: they aren't that necessary

T-Mobile offers a $30/month for 100mins/unlimited text and data. It's definitely worth having around even if you rarely use it.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20

Premium Member

Re: they aren't that necessary

said by clone:

T-Mobile offers a $30/month for 100mins/unlimited text and data. It's definitely worth having around even if you rarely use it.

Why is it worth having around? I can afford either a landline OR a cell phone without internet. A landline is much better. The price is regulated by the PUC and I can make long distance phone calls on the weekends inexpensively (5 cents a minute). 100 minutes would be used up on one long distance call to a loved one - besides one loved one can't understand anyone on a cell phone because of severe hearing problems they also can't understand someone using a cordless phone - they need the crystal clear reception of a real corded landline phone).

Yeah, I could get a Tracfone for times when I would really need a phone and couldn't find a nearby payphone but I can't recall the last time I needed to use a pay phone. Plus, I would have to keep the phone disabled all the time until I really needed it as I like to have a bit of privacy. So, why pay even $10 a month on a Tracfone when I could use that money to get a faster internet connection at home?
clone (banned)
join:2000-12-11
Portage, IN

clone (banned)

Member

Re: they aren't that necessary

Convenience.

Juggernaut
Irreverent or irrelevant?
Premium Member
join:2006-09-05
Kelowna, BC

Juggernaut

Premium Member

Retired devices

The reason for more devices than humans is quite simple: existing devices are retired while still fully functioning. The need for the latest and greatest sees them sitting in a drawer, unused.

My N4 is my daily driver, but my Nexus S has my remote region sim in it. Both are on as I type. And, three other devices are in the drawer ...