Smartphones being used more for 'surfing and games' than making calls, finds study

London, June 30 (ANI): People spend more time using their smartphones for surfing the web, checking social networks or playing games than making phone calls, a new research has found.

According to a mobile network O2, while smartphones are replacing more of our day-to-day gadgets, such as alarm clocks and digital cameras, using one to make a phone call is not that common any longer.

The research found that making phone calls with the smartphone was only the fifth most popular use for the gadget, only slightly more time than they spend writing and checking email, 11 minutes, and text messaging, 10 minutes.

"Smartphones are now being used like a digital 'Swiss Army Knife', replacing possessions like watches, cameras, books and even laptops," The Telegraph quoted David Johnson, General Manager of devices for O2 in the UK, as saying.

"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," he added.

While the survey found that people spend just three minutes a day taking photographs, photography was the most popular thing to use a smartphone for, with 74 percent saying that they had taken photos with their handset.

The study also found that more than half of respondents, 54 per cent, said that they use their smartphone instead of an alarm clock, while almost half, 46 per cent, said their phone replaced their watch. (ANI)