This is more apparent in countries which ban both handheld and hands-free usage, rather than those which ban handheld use only, as officials cannot easily tell which function of the mobile phone is being used simply by looking at the driver. Due to the increasing complexity of mobile phones, they are often more like mobile computers in their available uses. In March 2011, a US insurance company, State Farm Insurance, announced the results of a study which showed 19% of drivers surveyed accessed the Internet on a smartphone while driving. In September 2010, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 995 people were killed by drivers distracted by cell phones. Mobile phone use while driving, including talking on the phone, texting, or operating other phone features, is common but controversial.

The first mobile news service, delivered via SMS, was launched in Finland in 2000, and subsequently many organizations provided "on-demand" and "instant" news services by SMS. The exact number of cycles depends on factors such as charging habits, operating temperature, and battery management systems. The small speakers can also be used to listen to digital audio files of music or speech or watch videos with an audio component, without holding the phone close to the ear. Handsets with more advanced computing ability through the use of native software applications are known as smartphones. Low-end mobile phones are often referred to as feature phones and offer basic telephony. Additionally, short-range Wi-Fi infrastructure is often used by smartphones as much as possible as it offloads traffic from cell networks on to local area networks.

In February 2014, 93% of mobile developers were targeting smartphones first for mobile app development. Up until that point, smartphone application distribution depended on third-party sources providing applications for multiple platforms, such as GetJar, Handango, Handmark, and PocketGear. The introduction of Apple's App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch in July 2008 popularized manufacturer-hosted online distribution for third-party applications (software and computer programs) focused on a single platform. A common data application on mobile phones is Short Message Service (SMS) text messaging.

In Europe, Pornhub Casino regulations and technology have allowed the limited introduction of the use of passenger mobile phones on some commercial flights, and elsewhere in the world many airlines are moving towards allowing mobile phone use in flight. This has introduced additional difficulties for law enforcement officials when attempting to distinguish one usage from another in drivers using their devices. In other countries, including the UK and France and in many US states, only handheld phone use is banned while hands-free use is permitted. Although these phones are intended to prevent immodesty, some vendors report good sales to adults who prefer the simplicity of the devices; other Orthodox Jews question the need for them.