NEWS COPY
The average Brit uses just a third of their smartphone's features, a study has revealed.
Despite the vast majority of adults now owning some form of smartphone, around two thirds of the built-in functions or apps go unused, either because people have no need for them or they don't even realise they are there.
But with the new iPhone 6s 64GB model costing around £619 for the phone alone, this means more than £400 of it is being wasted.
The stocks and shares tracker was found to be the most underused function, followed by voice dictation, iPhone's passbook and podcasts.
It also emerged that despite our love of the smartphone, half of all adults find themselves longing for the days of the simpler mobile phone.
A spokesman for Talkmobile, which commissioned the research, said: "Smartphones have evolved so much over the past few years and now contain far more built-in features and apps than mobile phones did previously.
"If you need to do something, there is a very good chance you can use your smartphone to do so, or at the very least, download an app for it.
"But there will be many of us who remember the days when a mobile phone was nothing more than something you could make calls with or use to send text messages - and perhaps play the odd game.
"While the endless list of built-in features is impressive, it seems many of us are paying for a lot of things we don't use, or even know are there in the first place.
"If you are spending money on a phone, you want to get the best value out of it you can, so it's important to consider whether you really need everything on your expensive smartphone."
The study, of 2,000 smartphone users, found 59 per cent aren't aware of all the features on their mobile.
And a staggering 92 per cent don't use all of the features on their phone, with 30 per cent admitting they aren't even close to using everything their phone is capable of.
While 67 per cent say this is because a large number of the features aren't really relevant to their day-to-day life, a third admit they don't understand them.
One in five didn't even realise some of the added features were there in the first place, while 15 per cent prefer to use the real thing, when it comes to functions like alarm clocks and diaries.
The average Brit regularly uses eight of their phone's built-in apps and functions, and although they have used another six occasionally, they don't really get the most out of them.
Based on a list of 40 built-in functions, this means just 35 per cent are being used.
The stocks and shares tracker is the function most likely to be ignored, followed by voice dictation, iPhone's passbook, podcasts and the iPhone Health app or equivalent.
Mobile payments, the compass and fingerprint recognition are also rarely used, while iBooks, or built-in E-readers, and the Newsstand and its equivalent completed the top ten.
Voice recognition, photo editing software, the stop watch and reminders are also among the least used functions on a smartphone.
As a result of the underuse, 27 per cent don't believe they are getting value for money when it comes to their smartphone.
It also emerged that while sending text messages and making calls is still the most popular use for a mobile phone, other popular uses include taking photos, surfing the internet and using it as an alarm clock.
A spokesman for Talkmobile added: "Smartphones have evolved so much in recent years, with more in-built features and apps than ever. But, from looking at the survey results, we can see it's some of the heavily marketed and innovative features that are actually used less often. This means many people probably don't need to fork out for the most up-to-date handset to get access to the features they need."
Apps most likely to have never been used:
1. Stocks and shares tracker
2. Voice dictation
3. Passbook/ other equivalent
4. Podcasts
5. Health/ S-health/ other equivalent
6. Mobile payment (Google Wallet, Apple Pay etc)
7. Compass
8. Finger print recognition
9. iBooks/ built-in E-reader
10. Newsstand/ other equivalent
11. Tips/ other equivalent
12. Voice recognition/Siri
13. Game center/Samsung hub/ other equivalent
14. Photo editing software
15. Video calling/Facetime
16. World clock
17. Stopwatch
18. iTunes/other entertainment store
19. Timer
20. Reminders
21. Video player
22. GPS navigation
23. Music player
24. Bluetooth
25. Notes
ENDS
