1) The document summarizes findings from observations of how 1024 smartphone users in Nantes, France held and interacted with their phones. 2) Key findings included that the most common ways to hold a phone were methods A and B, accounting for 33% and 25% of observations respectively, and that factors like age, screen size, and activity influenced hand positioning and phone interaction. 3) The study aimed to understand real smartphone usage behaviors beyond past studies by gathering additional user data and comparing initial hypotheses to actual observed usage patterns.

1. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
Hand says everything!
presents
Smartphone Street
Observer
@personae_ulab #streetObserver
Nantes - France
June 2014

2. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
Smartphone is in vogue
in FranceIn 2013, there are as many
smartphone users as users of mobile
phones.*
Smartphone penetration rate is on the rise :
one person in two says that he or she will likely
buy a smartphone in the following months
rather than other connected items.*
*Deloitte’s study with online IPSOS questionnaire in which 2000 persons participated in June 2013.

3. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
New ways people hold
and touch
Human evolution is not so fast : users have still two
hands and ten fingers. Therefore, they have to shift the
way in which they are usually holding their phone.
Nowadays, smartphones and other mobile
devices are increasingly different : the screens
are larger and larger and people touch any part
of it to provide input with touchscreens.
Past years, only one study about how users hold their
smartphone was carried out. In 2013, Steven Hoober made
more than 1000 observations in american and canadian
airports and also in the streets. However, he did not gather
informations about users themselves such as their age, their
activity, if the person was left-handed or right-handed,…).
We go beyond observations !

4. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
 How do they really use their phone and what for
specifically ?
 How do they hold their smartphone and touch the
screen or buttons ?
 What are users doing ?
 What type of smartphone do they use ?
 What are personas ?
Dix a priori à l’épreuve
du terrain
Smartphone Street
Observer
First in situ observation indicator
of smartphone users…
Personae User Lab met users in their
daily life when they were standing in the
streets, walking, waiting for a bus,…
Discover how do users hold their smartphone and touch the screen and why
they choose one way or another!

5. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
Methodology

6. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
Methodology
Main area of observations
and interviews
Main place of interviews
Secondary places of
interviewsBase : 1024.
Days of
fieldwork
20
Time slots
3
Two main sorts of place
Street
Tram/Bus
Stop
One city : Nantes (France)

7. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
Sample

8. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
observations
1024
interviews
506
includingLeft-handers
11%
86%
Ambidextrous
3%
Representative sample of french distribution
right-handers/left-handers
Base : 506
Sample
Base : 1024
* Study about Smartphone penetration in France (Google – Q1 2013) and french population in 2013 (INSEE – estimate at the end of 2013).
47%
53% 48%
52%
Our sample
Smartphone users in
France*
Quasi representative sample of smartphone users in
France depending on the gender
Right-handers

9. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
Unrepresentative sample in terms
of age
Base : 506
Sample
55+ years
55%
27%
10%
4%
15-24 years 25-34 years 35-44 years 45-54 years
4%
25% 23% 21%
14% 17%
Our sample
Smartphone users in
France*
Source : http://bit.ly/1qztJzY
Even if young people are over represented in our
sample, the hierarchy based on age is close to the
reality.
* Study about Smartphone penetration in France (Google – Q1 2013) and french population in 2013 (INSEE – estimate at the end of 2013).

10. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
Smartphone brands
Screen size
Base : 506
1 32
40%
27%
8%
Nokia : 6% / LG : 4% / HTC : 4% / Others :11%
3,5’’ 4’’
60%
70%of users have their
smartphone for
more than 6 months
4% 36%
Smartphones
Sources : 1.http://bit.ly/1mVWtzm 2.ttp://bit.ly/1nSQdsx 3.http://bit.ly/WhH0Q4 4.http://bit.ly/1oQLa8p 5.http://soc.att.com/1rwiEwv 6.http://bit.ly/1nEcohb

11. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
How do
people hold their
smartphone ?

12. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
1,2,3,… on your
smartphone !
Take 15 seconds and wonder how do
you hold your smartphone when you are
writing texts.

13. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
It’s not that easy!
It’s difficult to think about one’s own gestures
when it has become an automatic reflex.
In situ observations are absolutely necessary
in order to understand real uses.
You must have taken your smartphone to simulate
texting or remember a past action with your
smartphone to answer.

14. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
5 principaux modes d’interaction
Base : 1024.
5 principal ways of holding a
smartphone
A
B
C
D
E
33%
25%
13%
10%
7%
B

15. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
7 assumptions
compared with
facts

16. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
Screen size
Place
ENVIRONMENTAge, Sex,
handedness
5 principaux modes d’interaction7 assumptions compared
with facts
For each of those ventured several criterias
(written in italic on the opposite graph), we
have ventured an hypothesis concerning its
impact on how the user interacts with his
smartphone.
The following results are only a part of
Personae User Lab’s study. The institute has
moved beyond « true and false » game : you
may discover in the complete version detailed
results, stories from the field and ergonomics
but also design lessons.
SMARTPHONE
USER
Months of
smartphone use
Posture
Activity
Let’s go !

17. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
5 principaux modes d’interaction7 assumptions compared
with facts
1. The way of holding smartphone varies with generation.
2. Hands used to hold the smartphone are also used to touch the screen or buttons.
3. Novices use unusual fingers and experiment various ways of holding a smartphone.
4. The largest devices need two handed use.
5. When people are walking, they use one hand.
6. If the activity needs precision, people use more frequently two hands.
7. Left-handers naturally use left-hand when they are reading on their smartphone.

18. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
The way of holding smartphone varies with generation.
Method E and other methods have been observed among older users
VS Methods A and B among young users.
Source : http://anh.eva.vn/upload/2-2013/images/2013-06-20/1371699983-mistakes_of_our_parents_image.jpg
1
BAE

19. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
Hands used to hold the smartphone are also
used to touch the screen or buttons.
Among 35 years old and younger people, if one hand is used to hold the smartphone, this hand is also used to interact whereas
people older than 35 tend to use two hands to hold their smartphone but use only one hand to touch the screen or buttons.
2
Source : http://mingxwang.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/dsc02821_800w.jpg?w=700&h=&crop=1

20. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
Novices use unusual fingers and experiment
various ways of holding a smartphone.
100% of people who have owned their smartphone for less than 3 months use their index or their
thumb (typical use).
3
Sources : 1.http://bit.ly/WhIOsr 2.http://bit.ly/1lbIlxl 3.http://bit.ly/1r8N2hd 4.http://bit.ly/1sxfX0i

21. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
The largest devices need two handed use
60% of users who have a large smartphone’s screen (more than 4 inches) use two hands whereas
50% of those who have a smaller smartphone’s screen (between 3,5 and 4 inches) use two hands.
Source : http://images.tmcnet.com/tmc/misc/articles/Image/2013/mcwSamsung8b.jpg
4

22. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
When people are walking, they use one hand
54,30% of people that we observed touching their screen and walking used one hand.
5
Sources : 1.http://bit.ly/1nSUvzV 2.http://bit.ly/1tdMKoW 3.http://bit.ly/Ufae0r 4.http://bit.ly/1tdMaY2 5.http://bit.ly/1wDSmZx 6. http://bit.ly/1oQOVuo 7.http://bit.ly/1mW15Wc

23. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
If the activity needs precision, people use more
frequently two hands.
Writing often needs two-handed use (for ¾ of smartphone users).
Orienting oneself and playing needs more frequently two-handed use than research/reading.
Source : http://www.portalpv3.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/smartphone-portal-progvacas-pv3.jpg
6

24. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
Left-handers naturally use left-hand when they
are reading on their smartphone.
64% of left-handers touch the screen and buttons only with their right hand.
7% of right-handers touch the screen with their left hand.
7
Source : http://www.selfmatic.be/docs/images/products/domotique/iPhone2.jpg

25. Smartphone Street Observer – June 2014 @personae_ulab #streetObserver
Hand says everything!
Smartphone Street
Observer
@personae_ulab #streetObserver
contact@personae-
userlab.com
In order to receive
the complete study
in September :