Nearly one-third of all C-Level executives own both an iPhone and a BlackBerry. In terms of all devices—phones, tablets, digital cameras, portable media players, smartwatches, PDAs, etc—CEOs and CFOs average about four devices each, according to a 2010 C-Suite study by IBM which means that if you support someone with this title, you should expect to be proficient in at least four diverse devices, including programming and set up.

Of 313.9 million Americans in the U.S. (as of the 2012 census), 285.6 million own a cell phone.  Of those 285.6 million people, 160 million still own a “dumb-phone” or a non-smartphone. T9 texting, anyone?

What every admin should know about mobile to stay relevant and marketable.

The other 44% of cell phone owners are smartphone owners. The distribution of the types of phones owned is experiencing a shift. In a time where BlackBerry dominated the business smartphone world, we see the beginning of its fall in 4Q2010, the same time we see a boom in Android sales. Smartphone skills are not transferable; Android, iPhone and BlackBerry all run on different operating systems; Android, OSX and BlackBerry OS, respectively—and the usability of the devices themselves vary immensely. The iPhone’s lock button is found on the top of the device, Android’s lock button on the side, and BlackBerry on the keypad itself; this is a simple example—and the reason why we encourage you to play with your friends’ stuff every chance you get.

As for tablets, Apple holds the highest percent of the market share at 58%. Trailing far behind are Samsung and Amazon (Kindle products). If the smartphone trend is in any way a predictor for future shifts, it’s easy to visualize that Android smartphone users will shift to the Samsung tablet (since they run on the same operating system). Call it brand loyalism, but the fact of the matter is that ease of use across devices is simply more efficient.

Can you easily navigate your devices? Is there a new, popular gadget we missed? Let us know in the comments section below.

Find Your Executive Assistant Now

If you're interested in hiring an executive assistant, personal assistant, office manager, or other support staff, we can make finding the perfect candidate fast and easy. Contact us to get started.

Find My Assistant