Using smartphones is something that almost 40% of the population is doing. The age barriers are being worn away and even elderly people are learning the ropes with smartphones. Indeed, in countries like Kenya, people are more likely to have a smartphone and internet connection than a traditional bank account, which has helped galvanize the country’s mobile payments industry. The smartphone represents everything about where our future is heading, but not everyone is getting involved with it. There are a select few who opt out of having a smartphone. How can we bring them around to the mobile way of life?
Social Media
One of the major benefits of a smartphone is the ease with which we can connect with others on social media. The mass amount of communication wasn’t seen until smartphones were properly launched and we began texting one another a lot more. Then, social media meant that we could connect not only with our closer friends but people who may know and acquaintances. Certain social media platforms – such as Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat – can’t be used in the same way from a desktop PC and would likely not have as many users if that was the main way of engaging with the apps. Social media definitely plays a part in life – from finding out major news items to spreading good causes and organizing meet-ups. Ultimately, its place on our phones shows our need for communication with one another and reflects its benefits in allowing us to seamlessly communicate and engage. It has also proven useful for businesses who have developed strategies to target consumers in this way.
Mobile Gaming
Mobile gaming is storming ahead of all other forms of gaming. Indeed, around half of all gaming revenue is coming from mobile. This is set to increase with the launch of the next generation of Pokémon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, which cannot be engaged with on any other platform. Indeed, the mobile-specific gameplay of the AR games shows how indispensable smartphones are to gaming culture. Even the most traditionally desktop games are finding their way over to mobile. For instance, if you like to play on your desktop, you can make the switch to the mobile version through your mobile browser. The game features the same gameplay of being rewarded for finding any pairs in your cards as you attempt to beat the dealer, but may be more suited to those who are playing on the go or have less time to commit to a longer game.
Those who haven’t yet fallen under the spell of the smartphone need only look at the industries of mobile gaming and social media to see how exactly smartphones are helping to shape our future. Social media platforms would have existed before smartphones, as they did, but would not have been anywhere near as popular. While mobile gaming has helped launch new modes of gameplay that couldn’t have been fathomed before on other consoles. The smartphone and its benefits speak for themselves.