By Kenny Chee

REMEMBER all the jokes about iPhone users being in a league of their own? There could be some truth in that.

iPhone users are younger, smarter and, well, wealthier than other smartphone users, a recent US study found.

No way, iPhone users here protest, saying that it is a misguided perception.

However, other smartphone users tell my paper the study is spot-on that iPhone users are in a class of their own, accusing them of being flashy and picking style over substance.

A study by research firm Forrester Research released this month concluded that iPhone owners are also more likely to work from home, use their phones to access the Internet, and send or receive e-mail, compared to other smartphone users.

Smartphones like the BlackBerry, iPhone, Palm and Windows Mobile devices are mobile phones that often have computer-like features from word processing to Internet access.

Owners of iPhones my paper spoke to agreed with the findings - to an extent.

Bank executive Yong Choon Leong, 34, an iPhone user, said there is a perception here that using an iPhone is "cooler, more hip and fun" than other smartphones that are "professional, serious and boring".

Financial consultant Carol Loo, 27, said surfing the Internet and checking e-mail on the go was easier with her iPhone as it is more user-friendly than other smartphones. "The interface is also quirky and I think people who appreciate this would likely be quite witty and eloquent," said Ms Loo.

Presenter and iPhone user Joe Augustin, 40, said that when people buy one smartphone over another, they are rejecting the phone they did not purchase and "acting out on a kind of snobbery".

"The iPhone has become cliche to some since it's so popular and I do see people choosing to get other smartphones," he said.

Other smartphone users agreed that iPhone owners were in their own league.

Programmer Simon Kuan, 32, an HTC smartphone user, said many iPhone users go for "style over substance" - there are many functions other smartphones can perform that iPhones cannot.

"What's so smart about the iPhone? It's only a partial smartphone," said Mr Kuan.

Mr Aaron Chua, 24, said some of the newer smartphones can be even more user- friendly and as sleek as iPhones.

"Other smartphones have more office-related applications and a more professional image than iPhones," said Mr Chua, a Palm smartphone owner.

Regardless of the debate, Forrester Research said the study showed that there was an opportunity for using iPhones and other smartphones to deliver work-related content and tools to an increasingly mobile workforce.

Mr David Ang, executive director of the Singapore Human Resources Institute, said userfriendly touchscreen smartphones, if they became cheaper, could help less tech-savvy older workers be "more mobile at work and in their personal life".

kennyc@sph.com.sg

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