While speaking with a friend the other day who has an iPad but is still using a flip phone, she told me that she has purposely shied away from purchasing an iPhone because she thinks it will ruin her life.

That’s an interesting way to think about the smartphone phenomenon.  It is a game-changer, and while there are many positive aspects of owning an iPhone or one of the better Android handsets, the loss of attention-span and other cultural changes is undeniable.

We attempted to capture some of these usage patterns in Techsurvey8.  Overall, smartphone ownership has now passed the halfway mark, up to 52% in this new nationwide study.  And it’s interesting that both men and women are almost equally as likely to have one.

We also found that smartphone ownership tends to level the tech playing field by age.  Even those who have an iPhone or Android device in the oldest demos are using it to perform a myriad of cool and varied tasks.

The “dual pyramid” (below) speaks to the growing differences between the “haves” and the “have-nots.”  That is, those who have a smartphone, and those who are still using what is nicely called a “feature phone.”

(A friend of mine in his early ‘70s is a “have-not” and still jokes about the time I referred to his device as an AARP Phone.”)

So as you look at the pyramid, you can definitely see how smartphones aren’t just convenient, they have opened up a new world to users.

Now, the only thing that feature phone owners do more than their smartphone counterparts is talk.  In all other usage areas, it’s no contest.  When you take the dive into smartphones, a whole new world opens up to you.

Of course, that also sends a message to those of us who program and market radio stations.  Look at the capabilities and activities that our listeners now have – and of course, they run even higher in progressively younger-targeted formats.

So here are some takeaways, followed by a logical question or two:

Eight of every ten respondents receive and send email on their phones.

So how do your database emails look when listeners open them up on their smartphones?  Are you considering the UX – or user experience – in your email program?

Three in ten record videos and three-quarters take and share photos.

So how can you utilize the audience as “citizen reporters” at concerts and events?  If everyone has a camera (and a video camera), how can you use this network to create content and a real-time experience?

One-fifth use their smartphones for Twitter, while two-thirds do the same for Facebook

So are you acknowledging your audience in a timely way on these platforms and taking advantage of their real-time nature?

Nearly six in ten check out news, weather, and/or traffic info on these handheld wizards.

So how does your on-air information provide entertainment value, a local touch, and a greater degree of accuracy?  And if you’re running a news operations, how does your station’s mobile experience match up with audience usage patterns?

More than one-third check sports scores on their smartphones.

Does your app do more than stream – are you providing sports scores for the teams your audience cares most about in a mobile environment?

And six in ten regularly download and use apps.

And how does your station’s mobile app program reconcile with those big numbers?  Do you have apps, and if so, on which platforms and devices?  Do your apps provide more than just a stream – a unique, mobile experience that is reflecting of your brand’s essence?

That’s what I love about research.  It asks questions, and then generates more questions.  But these are good ones to be asking in a mobile environment that is moving at Mach 5, right before our very eyes.

What questions do you see on this pyramid, and how can you and your team answer them?

Other growing categories include music (72%), productivity (66%), social networking (54%), and entertainment (40%).

While video and photo apps have gained greater attention lately, time spent with these type apps has been building for some time — with growth up 166% since July 2011, and 141% since March 2011.

And while actual minutes spent viewing video online is still well ahead of apps, at 425 total minutes versus 231 in March -the gap is closing. Online video consumption has dropped so far this year by 10%, and mobile app video consumption has increased by another 52%.”

Here is the entire piece titled, “Photo/Video Fastest-Growing App Category” written by Mark Walsh.

Topping the list of properties across both the mobile Web and apps is Google with 94 million unique users.

That represents 97% reach of the U.S. mobile audience. Facebook was second with 78 million monthly visitors, followed by Yahoo (66 million), Amazon (44 million) and Wikipedia (39 million).

Other top properties included eBay, The Weather Channel, Rovio (“Angry Birds”) and ESPN.

The main social networking service on smartphones is Facebook, not surprisingly, with 78 million (80.4% reach.) Placing a distant second behind was Twitter, with 25.6 million, LinkedIn (7.6 million), Pinterest (7.5 million), Foursquare (5.5 million) and Tumblr (4.5 million).

The top property by engagement is Facebook with 80% of time spent on apps compared to 20% via browser. Twitter had an even higher percentage of time spent with apps, at 96.5% of all minutes.

Microsoft, by contrast, was among brands that saw browser access driving a majority of usage, at 82.1%. Similarly, virtually all of time spent on Wikipedia, was through the mobile Web.

The results also showed an emergence of Pinterest, which has surged past Foursquare and Tumblr on smartphones and is closing in on LinkedIn. Pinterest’s 7.5 million monthly visitors represents 7.7% reach.

Read the entire article on how “Google and Facebook top smartphone audience rankings!”

It’s free and The Baby Travel app will help your family vacation go smooth from beginning to end with packing lists for a variety of locations and climates, travel tips and tricks, and even the ability to put your mail on hold while you’re away (genius!).

Reviewer’s Note:
“I LOVE how packed with features this little app is! The packing lists save SO much time and eliminate that whole “now what am I forgetting” feeling! And the soothing sounds are a lifesaver in strange places– my kids are so comforted by the white noise when we’re away from home. Plus, easy access to the Baby Travel site and blog make it easy to do research on the go.”

Here is the entire list of “20 Great iPhone Apps For New Parents.”

“Our recently completed Techsurvey8 says a lot about the voracious appetite for all things mobile – especially apps,” said Fred Jacobs, President of Jacobs Media/jacAPPS. “We surveyed 57,300+ radio listeners across North America, more than half of whom now own a smartphone. Of those who download apps, over 70% download radio apps. When we asked our respondents which type of radio app they prefer, more than half opted for individually branded apps which allow for more features and customization. This is where radio is going.”

Read all of Daniel’s piece, “The convenience of radio anywhere.”

Craig Johnson of Radio World has covered this upcoming panel quoting Paul Jacobs, CEO of Jacobs Media and VP/GM of jacAPPS

Jacobs says, “What you’re starting to see with mobile apps for radio is a combination of a native application and mobile-enabled Web pages,” said Jacobs.

“At the end of the day, the ability of a radio station to get their icon on the desktop of a person’s smartphone is the best branding you can have. It’s akin to having a pushbutton on a car radio.”

As to some features that a station can add through an app, Jacobs listed links to podcasts, videos, news, schedules, social media, the last-five-songs, places for listeners to post pictures from station events and more.

Some stations emphasize fun. “We did an app for one station that wanted to allow listeners to gossip. So now they’ve got a gossip section.”

He noted that a station format will dictate some of the design of a given app. For example, “News stations and sports stations provide a significantly higher level of content, written text news, so that listeners can read the news stories.”

While such features may increase the cost to create a station app, they also provide a sponsorship possibility beyond traditional radio advertising.

Speakers at the panel “Is Mobile Marketing the Future of Advertising in Radio?” include representatives of JacAPPS, Pandora, ESPN Digital Partnerships, Hipcricket and Marketron.

Here is Craig Johnson’s entire piece on “Radio Seeks To Exploit Mobile Better.”

jacAPPS has unveiled its next generation smartphone app – V3.  The new application provides an extraordinary amount of flexibility, expansion, and listener engagement not found in most apps for radio or in aggregated apps that contain hundreds of stations.

“With over 600 apps and close to 14 million downloads under our belt, we’ve learned a lot about what listeners want in an app,” jacAPPS Vice President General Manager said.  “Radio station brands are more than just their stream.  They engage with audiences through multiple channels.  And the V3 app enables time-shifting, social communication, and sharing.  For jacAPPS customers, the app provides unlimited expandability as well as a revenue component, push messaging, and the ability to be updated immediately without going through any approval process.  This is truly a major step forward for radio in the mobile space.”

The V3 app is designed with the following objectives in mind:

1.    Provide a large screen space for the station to display images they control remotely.
2.    Contain unlimited navigation based on horizontal scrolling.  As stations decide to add features such as video, on-demand, news, events, and blogs, the app can quickly and seamlessly be updated.
3.    Offer social sharing so content from the app can immediately be posted on Facebook, shared on Twitter or sent out via email.
4.    Provide an optional revenue sharing program via Verve Wireless, and push messaging via Urban Airship.
5.    Display album art featured on the front page of the app.

“This is a great leap forward for the radio industry,” says Jacobs.  We have always believed that the best mobile apps are individual and customized based on each station’s strategy, brand equity, and available resources.  Radio is fighting against pureplay providers like Pandora and Spotify, so we’ve got to be on top of our game.  Mobile is a dynamic space, and we are committed to helping radio stations capture that dynamism and compete successfully.”

The V3 application has been developed for the iPhone and Android platforms, and is available immediately.  For more information, email Paul Jacobs or call at (248) 353-9030.

eMarketer estimates the number of US consumers with a smartphone will more than double from 93.1 million at the end of 2011 to 192.4 million by 2016.

Right now, just under half of all mobile users in the US will own a smartphone, growing to 55.5% in 2013. For the full report, please click here.

CNN’s Jeanne Moos has a classic piece showcasing the video, which is titled, “Peter The Elephant Plays With A Samsung Galaxy Note.”

Corp! Magazine & The Michigan Association Of Broadcasters Honor jacAPPS

“While we’re not in it for awards, this is valued recognition for the great work that our team has done,” comments Paul Jacobs, Vice-President/General Manager of jacAPPS.  “A lot of hard work goes into creating great mobile applications, and it’s nice to be recognized.  Now the staff is on me to buy a trophy case!”

jacAPPS’ business philosophy has always been to put the customers before the code.  Will Tieman, President of the Spartan Sports Network observes, “We developed this application with jacAPPS to make a statement about who we are and what we do. Its effectiveness has enabled us to reach a larger listening base and future brands our network as a national leader.”

jacAPPS has created over 600 apps for customers around the world, including The Ann Arbor Art Fairs, The Detroit International Jazz Festival, C-SPAN Radio, public radio’s “Car Talk” program, and many others.  Crain’s Detroit Business recently ranked jacAPPS as the number one application developer in Southeast Michigan.

For more information, contact Paul Jacobs at pauljacobs@jacapps.com pauljacobs@jacapps.com or visit www.jacapps.com.