NYT: Smartphones have become a necessity; more growth expected

How is it that, even in these tough penny-pinching times, sales of expensive smartphones continue to rise? Case in point: the Palm Pre, powered by Sprint, pretty much sold out as soon as it went on sale over the weekend. Who's buying these things?

A report in the New York Times today points to people from many walks of life, including the recently unemployed, who see the always-connected smartphone as their link to  job listings and e-mail inboxes, a tool that allows them to stay a step ahead of other job seekers out there. A quick response from a Blackberry or iPhone tells prospective employers not only that the user is savvy and connected but also that they're available and ready to work right now.

It's true what the Times says about the expectation that people are somehow always connected these days - whether by laptop or mobile phone. An e-mail that goes unanswered for days says something about the recipient - and not just that he or she may be off re-energizing in Hawaii for a week. David E. Meyer, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, tells the New York Times:

The social norm is that you should respond within a couple of hours, if not immediately. If you don’t, it is assumed you are out to lunch mentally, out of it socially, or don’t like the person who sent the e-mail.

You certainly don't want a prospective employer thinking you're out of it socially, do you?

In a report issued today, the Yankee Group projected that 41 percent of consumers are likely to choose "an advanced OS phone" as their next purchase. It also found that smartphone volumes ate expected to grow 38 percent of all handsets by 2013.

There's a high bar for smartphones these days, the Yankee Group said. The average U.S. customer has had at least four mobile devices and has high expectations for the fifth, particularly around enhanced features and sophisticated design.

Also see: AT&T and Verizon: Is the smartphone growth train slowing?