App Your Life

Smartphones are more than just communication tools – the myriad apps on offer can change the way you live your life.

Recent research indicates that the average smartphone user spends two hours and 15 minutes a day using apps, which adds up to about a month every year. Smartphones have become essential daily living tools and there are few people who could optimally function without them. But it’s not just about communicating anymore – there are over 2.8 million options available for download on leading app stores that can help you do anything from getting fit, relaxing, watching a movie or playing music to identifying a plant or calling a cab. If you can think it, there’s probably an app for it.

Apps are so much a part of everyday life that many of them are becoming verbs – instead of asking a person to send a message on WhatsApp, its more common to say, ‘WhatsApp me’. When it comes to language skills as well, short messaging has brought about a whole new vernacular to be learned and interpreted (especially by parents of teenagers).

Although managing apps has become almost second nature to most users, it can be challenging at times. Craige Fleischer, Vice President of Integrated Mobility, Samsung SA says, “The Galaxy Note8 has made it far easier to manage your most used-apps by allowing you to open two at a time – and the extra-large screen means you can easily navigate both.”

Using two apps at a time makes for easy multi-tasking. For example, if you’re watching a movie on your phone and simply must find out what other productions the leading lady was in, you can keep the film going while you do an internet search for the actress. You could also take a quick screen shot of an outfit or piece of furniture from the movie and post a pic of it on social media with a hand-written note over the image to find someone to make it for you. Multi-tasking just became a real and viable option.

With all the multi-tasking now possible, the concept of how we use time may need to shift – most people have the perception that time not spent productively is time wasted. But, even if you are spending a month a year using your favourite apps, it may be because you’re having more and better experiences at the same time. Instead of standing in a queue at the bank, you can do your banking while you’re waiting to go into a show or concert. You’ll have done all your banking and other admin by the time you’re ready to video or photograph your experience.

Apps have made the world a different place – allowing you to experience what you want to experience, when you want to, as well as to share your opinions and encounters in real-time while tracking your health, listening to music, leaning a new language or making hand-written notes that’ll save to the cloud. Just about every need you have has been ‘apped’. If you’re up for ‘apping’ your life, make sure you’ve got the optimal device to manage it all with ease.