Americans buying fewer (but pricier) cell phones

Analyst firm NPD Group and Silicon Alley Insider reported on an interesting find: consumer cell phone unit sales dropped 13% from Q2 in 2007. However, Q2 revenues have dropped only 2% from last year.

The likely cause for this? Americans are buying fewer cell phones because they are spending more money on their handsets than ever before—and using their new investments as long as they can before trading in for a new device. In fact, this year seems to be the year where more and more ‘prosumers’ purchase a Blackberry or an iPhone.

SAI notes that this study doesn’t include Apple’s iPhone 3G, and only includes Apple’s original iPhone for part of the quarter. Q3 and Q4 should yield quite different results.

It’s official: No chatting on cell phones while driving in California (but no word so far on texting or e-mail)

Today, two California laws go into effect that will affect chatty drivers all over the state: Adult drivers are required to use a hands-free device if they want to talk on their cell phones, and teenagers under 18 will not be allowed to use their cell phones at all, except when on private property or making an emergency call.

The new laws also state that drivers can be pulled over for using their cell phones without having committed a driving violation prior, such as speeding or excessive swerving.

First-time offenders receive a $20 fine, with a $50 fine for each additional offense. The penalty is already being criticized for being overly lenient; In other states with cell phone laws in effect, drivers who are caught using their handsets while driving are charged up to $124.

The Public Policy Institute of California predicts that despite the low fine, the law will save around 300 lives per year. While this law will stop some from using handsets while driving, it certainly won’t stop everyone. If anything, the CHP is going to have quite a busy future with these!

Source: San Francisco Examiner

Teens Still Gabbing While Driving

Teens and cell phones go together like peanut butter and jelly. So does teens and rule breaking. So it is no surprise to find out that a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety finds that teen drivers tend to ignore bans on using phones and texting while driving. RCR Wireless reports that even though teens observe the graduated licensing restrictions; they usually disregard rules regarding cell phone usage.

The article reports that in North Carolina a month before ban on cell phone use by teens in December 2006, 11% of teen drivers were observed using handsets as they left school in the afternoon. Then five months after the cell phone prohibition took effect, researchers said nearly 12% of teen drivers were observed using phones. Shocking…teens defying authority. I am not surprised.

And to be honest I have to say that at the age of 30, I will probably find myself defying authority come July 1st when driving and talking on your handset becomes illegal in California. How much are those tickets again?