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> They do not care about >80 % world popln? They too need smartphones. nobody needs a smartphone. It's a gadget.
by mvanbaak 6y ago
> They do not care about >80 % world popln? They too need smartphones.
nobody needs a smartphone. It's a gadget.
- MaxBarraclough 6y agoYou seem to be implying it's a frivolous luxury that delivers little real value. That's not the case. Much has been written on telephony in the developing world.
- mvanbaak 6y agoTelephony can be handled by dumb phones
- MaxBarraclough 6y agoA smartphone is far more capable than a 'dumb' mobile phone, especially to someone who doesn't own any other computer.
- izacus 6y agoTelephony is dead. These days in many places cannot get a job or function without access to email or chat. In a lot of non-rich markets the smartphone is the cheapest option to gain access to these communication systems. We're not in 1998 anymore where people phone you.
- dividedbyzero 6y ago> In a lot of non-rich markets the smartphone is the cheapest option to gain access to these communication systems. I'd say that's nowadays true for richer parts of the world as well.
- izacus 6y agoYeah - although at least according to analytics a lot of western world people also own a computer. In many asian/african areas most of the population only has a smartphone to access the internet.
- omnifischer 6y agoIt is a lifeline for many - especially in poor world. Work, school and everything is arranged in WhatsApp or FB
- pwinnski 6y agoWhatsApp just this year cut off access for iPhone 4 users, but iPhone 4S users can still use it, as well as anything newer. The iPhone 4S, which still works with WhatsApp, debuted in 2011. They're cheap and reliable.
- dmitriid 6y agoIt hasn't been a gadget for close to ten years now.