Commentary

Smartphones: Manly, Yes, But Women Like Them, Too

Woman-using-Smartphone

A recent study by male-centric cable network Spike TV found that half the 1,018 men surveyed said they were "addicted" to their smartphones. Well, I guess guys are really into their iPhones, Android devices, BlackBerrys or whatever other high-end device they have. Wait a second. A survey last month from Baby Center found 51% of moms are also "addicted" to their smartphones.

Hold it, you mean smartphones are popular among both sexes? Maybe that explains smartphone sales going through the roof and why more than a third (36%) of all mobile users in the U.S. now have smartphones, according to Nielsen. The media research firm predicts that proportion will surpass 50% by year's end.

A separate study by the Nielsen earlier this year found 55% of smartphone users between 15 and 24 are female. That means it's not just moms, but young women and girls using smartphones. This really is startling.

I think we can just acknowledge now that a lot of men and women are using smartphones, and in a range of different ways -- texting, social networking, getting directions, taking and sending photos, among other things. And that both sexes have become highly reliant on their devices. So, while men may still make up a majority of smartphone owners, having one is clearly not a "guy thing" at this stage.

To emphasize that point, maybe one of the major smartphone makers or wireless carriers should borrow that tag line from the old Irish Spring TV spots, with a woman declaring, "Manly, yes, but I like it too," to underscore the crossover appeal of the brand. Just substitute a smartphone for the bar of soap, and you've got a ready-made slogan retrofitted for the mobile era.

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