Fahmida Y. Rashid reports that methodological issues confound interpretation of a widely cited study by Pew:
The problem is, the survey attempted an apples-to-oranges comparison for each of those findings. Non-smartphones, or feature phones (often called “dumb phones”) are a varied lot, including the likes of LG Rumor Reflex with a keyboard and touchscreen interface, and the far simpler Samsung Gusto 2, a clamshell phone with a basic Web browser and a camera, but nothing else beyond regular calling features.
Comparing usage between dumb phone and smartphone users “is pretty idiotic” since “dumb phones don’t carry the same features or risks,” Rich Mogull, analyst and CEO of independent security research and advisory firm Securosis, told Security Watch in an email.
While the survey questions weren’t “terrible,” Mogull was not sure if the users in the survey understood the questions to answer them appropriately. “I don’t think the conclusions can be used to predict actual behavior,” Mogull said.
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