Given a choice of the car, the computer, or the telephone, almost one in four Germans (23 percent) names the telephone as modern man’s most useful invention. As the cell phone, it has even found its way into our handbags and pockets. No wonder three quarters of all Germans (72 percent) own two or more telephones. For the younger generation in particular, getting through the day without one is inconceivable. Three quarters of 20 to 29-year olds (77 percent) will turn back in the morning if they have forgotten their cell phone. By comparison, just 56 percent of this age group will turn back to clean their teeth. Expectations for the future of this classic are also high: 71 percent believe the cell phone will take on even more functions in the future, e.g., as a mobile wallet.
