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Canadian Cell Phone Users Upgrading

According to a new Palm Canada/Leger Marketing study, while almost half (45 per cent) of Canadian mobile phone users have upgraded or bought a new phone in the last year, etiquette may be taking a back seat when it comes to public cell-phone use.
In the midst of a possible cell-phone ban for new Ontario drivers being considered by lawmakers, two-thirds (67 per cent) of cell-phone users across Canada admit to talking on their cell while driving -- and a full 75 per cent of those who drive and dial confess that talking on the phone affects how safely they drive.
The survey also revealed that the majority of cell-phone users (91 per cent) have been annoyed by other cellular users in public places, and half (49 per cent) have been annoyed by cab drivers chatting on their mobile. Somewhat ironically, nearly half (47 per cent) also admit to having their cell-phone ring in an inappropriate place, such as a movie theatre, during a meeting, or at a library.
Cell phone personalization is also popular, as one-third (34 per cent) of users have added a unique ring tone, and one in four (25 per cent) says they take or store digital pictures on their phone. Cell-phone users who are 34 years and younger are more likely to personalize their cell phones than older users (ring tones: 49 per cent vs. 28 per cent; pictures: 43 per cent vs. 18 per cent; wallpaper: 23 per cent vs. eight per cent; downloaded music: 15 per cent vs. four per cent).

Palm smartphones fully support hands-free use. They are equipped with speaker phones and are compatible with a number of hands-free accessories, including headsets, earpieces and car kits offered by leading automobile manufacturers. Palm has recently stated its support of legislation in California requiring drivers that use a cell-phone while driving to use a hands-free device, believing that it responsibly addresses evidence that
handheld cell-phone use increases the risk of accidents.

Additional Survey Highlights

Cell-phone Faux Pas - One in five (19 per cent) admits to drinking and dialing (making a spur-of-the-moment call after consuming alcohol), and another four per cent have broken up with someone over their cell-phones.

- Four in five cell-phone users (83 per cent) say that phones ringing in inappropriate places, such as a movie theatre, during a meeting, or at a library, are a serious faux pas. Seven in 10 cell-phone users (70 per cent) say that driving and dialing is the biggest blunder. These responses were followed by texting in a meeting (58 per cent) and using a cell in a public place (52 per cent). Forget Me Not

- Almost three in five (56 per cent) use their cell-phones to fill in free time.

- One in 10 cell-phone users would rather lose their mother-in-law than their cell-phone, while five per cent of respondents would rather give up their right to vote than their cell-phone.

- Another three per cent of cell-phone users would rather give up their pet than their phone, followed by two per cent who would be willing to give up their driver's license or their current job in order to keep their phone. Cell-phone Use and Other Electronics

- Almost half (45 per cent) of Canadians who have cell-phones upgraded or bought a new cell-phone in the last year.

- Cell-phone users personalize their phones with unique ring tones (34 per cent) and pictures (25 per cent).

- One in five cell-phone users (17 per cent) use their cell more than their landline, and another seven per cent use their cell-phones exclusively.

- Seven in 10 cell-phone users (70 per cent) also own a digital camera, followed by laptops (36 per cent), MP3 players (29 per cent), iPods (16 per cent) and Palm PDAs (10 per cent), and BlackBerry devices (four per cent). Seventeen per cent do not own any other portable electronic devices.