Complex phones puts users off upgrading

The complexities of the new breed of mobile phones and applications are leaving consumers scratching their heads.

A new survey from UK-based Mformation found 45% of US and UK consumers have put off upgrading to more sophisticated phones due to complex setup issues.

Over 60% of these users said phone setup is as frustrating as changing a bank account, and more than one in three respondents said they would change their handsets more frequently if initial setup were easier.

"The message from consumers is that phone setup is simply too complex. Clearly, this needs to be addressed," said Mformation vice president Matthew Bancroft.

Consumers find mobile services just as confusing. Nearly every respondent stated they would be more likely to try new mobile services if they were easier to use and set up. And 61% stated they had stopped using mobile applications because they had encountered a problem they were unable to solve.

On average, consumers spend nearly an hour setting up new mobile phones, but feel the setup process should take no longer than 15 minutes.