Cell phones in the dark

Sprint yesterday published the results of its U.S. Consumer Wireless Usage Study. Conducted nationwide, the survey polled 673 respondents on a variety of questions, from the ordinary to the more arcane. As for the most popular cell phone form factor, the flip phone was the clear winner, with more than 70 percent of respondents saying they preferred it over candy bar and slider models. Besides making calls, the most popular cell phone feature was integrated cameras, while push-to-talk services, ring-tone downloading, Internet access, and music rounded out the top five. When asked what feature they'd like to see in their phones, 27 percent said a printer, a scanner, or a fax machine, and 17 percent asked about a thermometer. On the more offbeat side, 60 percent reported using their mobile to find something in the dark, and 4 percent said they played games on their cell phone while on a date.