There are 300 million broadband connections worldwide versus 3 billion mobile phones. In many countries, mobile usage is outpacing both TV and Web consumption as people leapfrog over the PC straight to the handset. As a result, services like mobile video, music and local search are growing more rapidly in developing countries than the U.S. On a recent trip abroad, I noticed that Ali (pictured), a 38-year-old in Turkish Cyprus, used his cell phone (a sleek Nokia N73) more frequently–and in more ways–than either I or any of my American companions did. Meanwhile, he marveled at our Macbooks as “100 years ahead” of him. With the help of a translator, we found out more about his “mobile behavior.” Below is a quick comparison with my own (Alli, 27-year-old iPhone owner in New York City).
Owned a mobile phone:
Ali: 8 years
Alli: 8 years
Phone Plan:
Ali: Prepaid, uses anywhere from 600-1200 minutes / month
Alli: Monthly plan with unlimited data and 400 minutes a month
Communication:
Ali: Calls all day for work and uses one day a week to speak with family, often texts with his wife throughout the day. No email.
Alli: Makes calls from landline at work (when absolutely have to), otherwise email. Text friends mostly at night and make calls a few times a week to friends, few times a month to family.
Photos and Video
Ali: Takes mobile photos constantly, but records video even more–long movies to show family back home his typical work days, progress on projects, etc. Also stores long videos of family at home to show off to people (above).
Alli: Occasionally take photos on phone to send to Flickr. Otherwise depend on others to catalogue the moment. No video on the iPhone, but can’t say I’d use it much.
Music
Ali: Gets songs through bluetooth from friends. Listens to music constantly on his phone (Turkish and Arabian club music) usually with headphones, but creates makeshift “speakers” by putting it in a glass or pot to amplify the sound.
Alli: Never used to before the iPhone, but now listen to a few songs a week.
Mobile Web
Ali: Knows how to use the mobile web but does not do it often.
Alli: Uses mobile web at least once a day since getting the iPhone, before that, maybe once a week.
Ringtones
Ali: Recorded the sound of a cat he was fond of (while fighting with another cat). Uses this as his ringtone (it’s jarring).
Alli: Never recorded a sound, use stock ringtone that sounds like outer space.
By no means are either of us completely “average,” but it’s an interesting contrast and speaks to the concept of cross-cultural “tribes” (as opposed to traditional demographic sets). Age and mobile use aren’t ALWAYS inverse, and behavior is often defined by geography, culture, broadband access, and a number of other factors.
