4.3 Billion People Now Own Smartphones::Find out how smartphone ownership has reached 4.3 billion people worldwide. Dive into the GSMA’s Mobile Internet Connectivity 2023 Report.

  • Stamets@startrek.website
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    11 months ago

    It’s me. It’s my fault. I’m the people.

    I’m not surprised though. The utility of a smartphone is absolutely unparalleled but also paramount lately. Lately it seems to be that in most of the world an internet connection is required to get a job. You’d need it to apply for work but you’d also need it to access email to see job offers and other responses. You’d also need a phone to often get phone calls about work. For those two functions alone a smartphone is a fantastic investment. When you add in every other service and utility you can get out of it…

    • merc@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      in most of the world

      Citation needed.

      Most of the world includes Africa, India, China, South America. Places like Western Europe, Australia and the US only contribute a small amount to that world population. I doubt an Internet connection is needed to get a job in Nigeria, Peru or Sri Lanka.

    • callouscomic@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      Do you think applying to work for Hamas is as dumb as Walmart? Answer obnoxious questions about your behavior to ensure you act like the programmed soldier they want you to be so you can perfectly carry out their mission with brutal precision and zero regard for anyone else except just for the sole goals of their top leadership? I’m talking about Walmart of course.

    • ram@bookwormstory.social
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      11 months ago

      Smartphones are at a level of ubiquety in many societies where depending on where you live, even the poorest of individuals will have one. It’s not uncommon at all to see homeless people around starbucks getting free wifi to connect online with whatever smartphone they have. It’s really dependent on where you live whether a smartphone is at all correlated with wealth.

      • Balder@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        All societies changed because of computers and smartphones. Lots of people forget that especially for poor people smartphones brought so much benefits that were not accessible before, such as online banking (not needing to go to a bank branch), being in touch with family even when moving away for work, much more access to information (despite the low barrier of disinformation nowadays), online courses, healthcare tips etc.

      • callouscomic@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        But but but the Boomers told me things about having a smartphone and drinking coffee that means you MUST not be poor.

    • erwan@lemmy.ml
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      11 months ago

      How many of them are well fed kids who don’t need a smartphone yet?

    • Secret300@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      I just want a small laptop. Not a phone. I hate the why apps and crap work and how files are stored. It’s so annoying to use

      • Queue@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        11 months ago

        Netbooks could have been great if they were started in 2015 and not 2005. Modern day ARM and perhaps future RISC-V could make them miles ahead.

        I currently use a Chromebook for “on the go but needing a bigger screen and keyboard”, as my thinkpad is too big for that task. I do however consider getting something like an X230 frequently, so I’m not stuck to Chrome OS because mine is not supported by any of the community “Chromebook to usable laptop with Linux” methods.

    • Gorroth@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      I literally just had my finger over the order button for one of these Nokia 3310 Remakes, but I didn’t order

    • EngineerGaming@feddit.nl
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      11 months ago

      Maybe it’s only because I am a uni student and not full-on working, but I did. IMO it’s improved my overall life, and what little is mobile-only (hi Steam’s trade confirmations) can be used in an emulator/VM.

      • 👍Maximum Derek👍@discuss.tchncs.de
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        11 months ago

        There are multiple apps I have to have for work. MS Teams is the one I doubt I could replicate. Nor do I really want send a reply to an urgent question using T9 input.

  • merc@sh.itjust.works
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    11 months ago

    I’d like to see an age breakdown.

    2.6 billion people are under 20, nearly a billion are over 60. I’d expect those age groups are less likely to own smartphones.

    So, the rate for people between 20 and 60 might be closer to 90%.