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Define An "Average Joe" Smartphone User

S

SomeDudeAsking

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 23, 2010
1,250
2
So people around here like to throw terms like "average joe" or similar around when talking about what things are expected in a smartphone or upcoming/lack of features. For example, a common thing people say around here is that width of the iPhone 5 is "perfect" for the "average joe" and that the "average joe" doesn't care about customizations.

So who is this "average joe"? Please define "average joe". Like, what size hands does "average joe" have?
 
take 10 people......

3-4 teenie boppers
3-4 average adults who need a phone
1-2 people, like some of us, that are more cell phone advanced

the 6-8 people listed above are in need of a phone, and use it just as that. they know it does email, sends texts, makes phone calls.....etc. specific technical stuff like reloading OS, programming menus, setting APN settings....they cannot do on their own.

the 1-2, are people like us. who know where and how to find info like this and can do all of our own trouble shooting on the phone ourselves.

average joes are the 6-8.
 
Average joe smartphone usage

Facebook
Twitter
Email
Snapchat (for the younger folk)
Instagram
Web
The occasional game.

And obviously calling and texting which are probably the two biggest.
 
that width of the iPhone 5 is "perfect"
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Whoever said that hasn't used his iPhone 5 in landscape yet or is "average joe" himself. It's a serious PITA, because the keyboard covers nearly the whole screen and you don't even see what you're writing most of the time. 16:9 is great for videos, but a bad design choice for any apps that require the keyboard.

16:9 on an iPad: rather great, as the screen is > 1080p and big enough to actually watch a movie on it and have a usable keyboard in landscape. 16:9 on an iPhone: Not so much.

This obviously doesn't affect "average joe" browsing Facebook, because the Facebook app doesn't support landscape for things other than pictures. :rolleyes:
 
average joes also dont know what UMTS, GSM, CDMA, LTE, Mbps or any other technical jargon means or how it applies to their phone or network. all they know how to do is turn the phone on and off and if it "works" or "doesnt work".
 
Average joes aren't worried about the technology part of the phone like processors and such. They aren't worried about how many apps their phones app store has. Their phone does what they need it to do and that all they care about.
 
Average joe=just your average citizen who doesn't care about the internals of the phone as long as it has a) the features they need and b) an acceptable speed and ease of use.

In these forums we tend to discuss the finer aspects of iPhones but really when I talk to people about what is discussed here in real life, 99% of the time they have no clue.
 
TacticalDesire said:
Average joe smartphone usage

Facebook
Twitter
Email
Snapchat (for the younger folk)
Instagram
Web
The occasional game.

And obviously calling and texting which are probably the two biggest.
Click to expand...

I would say calling is one of the least used features these days for the "average joe" however.
 
macingman said:
I would say calling is one of the least used features these days for the "average joe" however.
Click to expand...

For the younger average joe maybe but the older generation still make actual phone calls.

----------
Appl3FTW said:
average joes settles for android those who can't afford iphones.

//end
Click to expand...

Riiiiiiiiight......

Note II-2 year Verizon contract: $299
Galaxy s3-2 year Verizon contract: $199

iPhone 5- 2 year Verizon contract: $199
iPhone 4S- 2 year Verizon contract:$99

Way to use the age old, childish and delusional "only poor people buy android" argument. Not to mention the cost for the plan is the same.

If you need an iPhone to feel superior perhaps there are deeper issues you may want to sort out.

Meanwhile, I'll enjoy the iPad 3, iPad mini, iPhone 5, and iPod touch 5 sitting here while I use the nexus 4 as my primary phone.
 
SomeDudeAsking said:
Does average Joe even know or care what version of iOS is on his phone?
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nope not usually. i know people that were still on 4.x.x because they had no clue how to update. most average people done even know OS's get updated and whats included in updates or that its even important to do so.
 
"average joe" ?

I fall into that category. I'm an older adult not a kid ;)

1. I use my smartphone as a phone

2. Us the GPS on city streets or unfamiliar area's

3. Use the email app on occasions

4. Look up sites on the web when needed, and for me not often

5. May use the calendar app on occasions.

6. Look up weather conditions or traffic on occasions.

7. I keep my smartphones for over 3 years, not every year like some

I never text, never watch movies or Youtube, never listen to music, never Facebook. I have a full size computer for other stuff. Observe many a younger generation (30 and below) use a Samsung wider phone that looks cheaper than the iPhone and are used mainly for social networking, not real work. Me thinks they are replacing home computers with smartphones as their main computer now days. I see more grown adults using the iPhone, but that is my observation in my area
 
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That's quite hard to define in my opinion because it would depend on age group and country etc. Young people want the latest and coolest phone that can do facebook, text, whatsapp etc but don't necessarily care about the tech world, guys tend to care more about tech world stuff. Some older people may be into tech, while others may not. Some may just want a phone that does what they need and don't care about how new it is. In some countries, more people may be into the latest and best than not. So it's hard to define an average joe.
 
Average Joe has no idea there is a "scuffgate", doesn't know about dead pixels or light bleeding, and doesn't notice a camera casing/power button that rattles when you hold it up to your ear and shake it.
 
I'm pretty sure I fall into avg. I have never experienced any problem I see here. So either I'm very lucky or naive. The phone is used for text songza and wwf. And the few phone calls I make and receive. I can't tell the difference between screens on mine and my bros note 2. I don't notice lag. The phone is used about 2 hrs a day and gets charged maybe 3 times a week. Oh and it's a good alarm clock and I have a shift tracker calendar app that has made this phone more than worthwhile with that alone. And lastly I pay 110 bucks a month for 2 iphone 5s and have awesome Sprint LTE service in Chicago.
 
Average Joes dont pee in their pants if they find a small nick on the bezel and go through 4 or 5 phones looking for the "perfect" phone.
 
F123D said:
Average Joe asks why there's a badge with a 1 next to the settings icon.
Click to expand...
That's the badge I warn my wife away from on her iP4 that I've kept jailbroke on 5.1.1. :)

Bswartz95 said:
Average Joe has no idea there is a "scuffgate", doesn't know about dead pixels or light bleeding, and doesn't notice a camera casing/power button that rattles when you hold it up to your ear and shake it.
Click to expand...
You're wrong about that one. My wife, who is about as technically illiterate as you can get, knows all about the problems with the iPhone 5 (scuff/bend/screen pop/paint chips). She even asked me what was the point of making such a small screen "only taller?"...
 
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