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Smartphones have taken over far more than calls and messages. In a representative 2025 survey of smartphone users in Germany, the most commonly replaced everyday item was the alarm clock; respondents also named cameras, navigation devices, kitchen timers, paper tickets, and more. “Replaced” here means respondents said the phone performs the function wholly or mostly—not that they no longer own or use the original device.
What smartphones replaced most often
Bitkom Research asked smartphone users in Germany which functions their phones replace “completely or mostly.” The survey was conducted by telephone during calendar weeks 2–5 of 2025 and included 827 smartphone users among 1,004 people aged 16 or older. The results below are percentages of those smartphone users, not percentages of all German residents or of people who have stopped owning the standalone item. Source: Bitkom, August 29, 2025.
| Everyday task | Standalone item or service replaced | Share of smartphone users |
|---|---|---|
| Timekeeping | Alarm clock | 74% |
| Imaging | Camera | 65% |
| Imaging | Video camera | 56% |
| Communication | Landline telephone | 43% |
| Navigation | Navigation device | 40% |
| Household utility | Kitchen timer | 38% |
| Household utility | Flashlight | 32% |
| Access and travel | Paper tickets | 25% |
| Media | Radio listening via smartphone | 23% |
| Entertainment | Game console | 22% |
| Banking | TAN device for online-banking verification or transfers | 17% |
| Paperwork | Scanner | 11% |
| Access | Car key | 5% |
Timekeeping: alarm clocks and kitchen timers
Alarm clock
At 74%, the alarm clock was the most commonly replaced item in the 2025 list. A phone can serve as an alarm without a separate bedside clock, though the survey does not say whether respondents rely on it every day or still keep a clock as a backup.
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Thirty-eight percent said their smartphone wholly or mostly takes the place of a kitchen timer. This is a more occasional utility than an alarm for many people: a timer can be set when cooking calls for one, without keeping a dedicated timer at hand.
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Imaging: cameras and video cameras
Camera
Sixty-five percent reported replacing a camera with their smartphone. The survey records perceived substitution, not image quality or whether respondents still use a dedicated camera for particular situations.
Video camera
Video cameras were replaced by phones for 56% of respondents. The result reflects how a single pocket device can handle both still photography and video, but it does not establish that every phone user has given up a separate camera or camcorder.
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Communication and getting around
Landline telephone
Forty-three percent said their smartphone wholly or mostly replaces a landline. This is a reported functional replacement, not a count of households without landline service.
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Navigation devices were replaced by smartphones for 40% of users surveyed. This places navigation among the most common substitutions, though the survey does not measure how often people navigate or compare phone and dedicated-device performance.
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Small utilities, media, and play
Flashlight
Thirty-two percent named the flashlight function. A phone can provide light when needed, making this a useful convenience even for people who keep a brighter or more durable dedicated flashlight.
Radio listening
Twenty-three percent said listening to radio via smartphone replaces a separate radio. The measure is specifically about radio listening on the phone, not a claim that all other audio devices have been replaced.
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Game console
Twenty-two percent reported that a smartphone wholly or mostly replaces a game console. That does not mean mobile games match every console experience; it captures respondents’ judgment that their phone fills the gaming role to that extent.
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Tickets, banking, scanning, and car access
Paper tickets
One-quarter of smartphone users reported replacing paper tickets. The survey category is limited to “paper tickets”; it should not be read as a finding about all paper documents or every kind of ticket.
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TAN device for online banking
Seventeen percent said their smartphone replaces a TAN device used for online-banking tasks such as verification or transfers. This refers to that authentication function, not to replacing banking services or every security measure.
Scanner
Eleven percent reported that a phone replaces a scanner. The survey does not specify which scanning tasks respondents perform or how frequently.
Car key
Car keys were the least commonly replaced item on the list, at 5%. That comparatively small share makes clear that phone-based access is a specific use rather than a universal change in how people unlock or start cars.
How the reported replacements compare with 2023
Bitkom’s 2023 representative telephone survey in Germany included 780 smartphone users among 1,004 people aged 16 or older. Five categories appear in both releases with directly comparable results:
| Function | 2023 smartphone users | 2025 smartphone users | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alarm clock | 60% | 74% | +14 percentage points |
| Camera | 54% | 65% | +11 percentage points |
| Video camera | 44% | 56% | +12 percentage points |
| Landline telephone | 40% | 43% | +3 percentage points |
| Navigation device | 31% | 40% | +9 percentage points |
These are results from separate surveys, not a follow-up of the same people. They show higher reported replacement shares for these five functions in 2025, but do not establish what caused the change. The 2023 release also reported flashlight at 30%, radio at 23%, wristwatch at 19%, public-transport and long-distance ticket machine at 18%, TV remote at 7%, and baby monitor at 4%; those categories are not directly interchangeable with every item in the 2025 list. Source: Bitkom, February 27, 2023.
Quick Recap
What the list does—and does not—tell you
- It illustrates how broadly smartphones serve as everyday tools, from timekeeping and photography to banking authentication and scanning.
- The percentages measure whether users say the phone wholly or mostly replaces a function. They do not measure ownership, frequency of use, product quality, or whether a dedicated device remains useful.
- The evidence is a representative survey of people in Germany, not a global estimate. Individual habits and available services can differ by country and person.
- Bitkom’s 2025 release quotes mobile-communications expert Janine Jahreiß describing the smartphone as a “digital command center” for many people; the survey’s varied list shows the practical breadth behind that characterization.
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