Based on my limited interaction it seems pretty common among German university students to not own smartphones for reasons other than financial (but I can't tel

Based on my limited interaction it seems pretty common among German university students to not own smartphones for reasons other than financial (but I can't tell you whether that's 5% or 25% of all students). Sometimes it's a conscious decision, sometimes they never felt a pressing need for owning one (given that among certain social circles they are not relied upon for communication). Even those that own one often don't carry them during routine days in university as they find themselves too distracted by it. Probably varies a lot by field. Social sciences probably have the lowest number of smartphone users. (Of course you also see a lot of heads buried in phones as soon as you step anywhere near a university – or anywhere else.) This also applies to graduates. People in the 25-35 age bracket around me have less smart phone usage than what I experienced in other countries. Among my friends almost anything is discussed face-to-face, via phone, or via email (in that order) and if I have to wait until the evening for an answer that's fine.