Weekend Open Thread

About 9 out of 10 Americans have cellphones, and the vast majority report problems with their devices, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.

The biggest complaint was dropped calls. According to the survey, 72% of cellphone owners reported experiencing dropped calls, and almost one-third said this happens at least a few times a week.

Another issue was unwanted sales and marketing calls, which 68% of cellphone owners reported. One-quarter of owners said they have this problem multiple times a week.

About 70% of people who text said they get spam or unwanted text messages.

Of the more than half of cellphone owners who use their phones to go online, 77% reported slow download speeds.

Smartphone users had more complaints than their non-smartphone-using counterparts, according to Pew. Thirty-five percent said they encountered dropped calls at least once a week, compared with 28% of other cellphone users.

However, maybe smartphone owners are just more sensitive to glitches.

“As mobile owners become fond of just-in-time access to others and as their expectations about getting real-time information rise, they depend on the cellphone's technical reliability," said Pew researcher Jan Lauren Boyles.

"Any problems that snag, stall, or stop users from connecting to the material and people they seek is at least a hassle to them and sometimes is even more disturbing than that in this networked world," Boyles said.