Report: Cell Phone Users to Delay Upgrades, Cut Usage During Economic Downturn

Whether it’s a recession today or the worst is yet to come, cell phone users across the globe are feeling the impact and are acting accordingly.

A new poll conducted by mobile applications portal GetJar says consumers across the globe are delaying their plans to upgrade to new cell phones and reducing the amount they spend on cell phone service in the meantime.

GetJar said in a statement this week that 78 percent of subscribers plan to put off their purchase of a new cell phone while 76 percent plan to cut the amount they spend on usage.

This news come in stark contrast to news published here only 2.5 months ago.

A report issued on Aug. 19, 2008 by the NPD Group, which began tracking cell phone sales in 2005, said U.S. consumers were buying fewer phones but spending more on them.

The NPD Group report said consumers snapped up 28 million cell phones in the second quarter of 2008 while spending $2.4 billion for them.