BU buzzed by smart phone fad

When Boston University officials called the first full snow day for BU in more than five years on March 2, School of Management sophomore Stephanie Hue did not even have to get out of bed to find out.

‘My phone let me know that school had been cancelled,’ Hue said.

Hue is one of the many students on campus who pass on ordinary cell phones and instead opt instead for the pricier smart phone. Ranging in price from $100 to $700, smart phones are becoming more popular with college students, although other students said they simply dismiss their popularity as a trend.

Hue, who owns a BlackBerry, said there are many benefits to having a smart phone. She said she is most impressed by her phone’s email notification system.

‘And although they are more expensive, smart phones are so much more practical for school,’ she said.

John Buck, assistant manager of Verizon Wireless on Boylston Street, said most customers come in looking for a regular phone, but are easily convinced to buy a smart phone once they get over the initial fear of such a high-tech gadget.

‘About 75 percent of all the phones we sell here are BlackBerrys,’ Buck said. ‘Mainly people switch to smart phones because they want it all on the go. The web, email, texts and the ability to call people.” ‘

Some students said smart phones are mainly a trend, similar to an accessory.

‘BlackBerrys have a lot of practical uses, but they are slightly overrated,’ College of Communication sophomore Kristian Limas, a BlackBerry owner, said. ‘They do seem to be a trend more than anything here on campus.’

But Northeastern University freshman Dwight Hunter said smart phones are most fitting for college-aged adults.

‘Most people our age can’t picture their parents on smart phones anyways,’ Hunter said. ‘Parents nowadays can’t picture their kids without a phone in their hands. I think a lot of parents don’t want their kids to feel left out, so they buy them the latest phone, regardless of the cost.’

As far as college-aged consumers go, the trend seems to be greater among the millennial generation than with any other age range, T-Mobile spokeswoman Lori Richter said in an email.

‘A lot of marketing campaigns are directed towards college kids, so we are seeing a larger number of this age group purchasing the [smart] phones’ Richter said. ‘TV commercials show teens and young adults mostly using the phones like the [T-Mobile] G1 and others. Even the posters in our stores often have young people smiling and holding their phone.’

COM junior Steven Ohl, who does not own a smart phone, said he does not plan to subscribe to the smart phone trend anytime soon. The technology is unnecessary, he said.

‘I’m a smart person,’ Ohl said. ‘Why would I need a smart phone?’