Smartphone users would rather have an alarm clock on their mobile than artificial intelligence

Mobile phone technology has progressed at an astonishing pace, with advanced technologies like fingerprint scanners and artificial intelligence now becoming a common sight on handsets. Yet it appears we're a stickler for tradition, with alarm clocks and maps topping out in a list of our favourite smartphone features in a survey by uSwitch. In a study of 2,000 UK adults, 42% cited GPS technology – used for map and navigation apps – as the most useful feature on their phone. This came above even mobile messaging apps such as Facebook and WhatsApp, which ranked highest with 36% of respondents. Alarm clock apps – which have largely replaced clock radios to become the default method for getting us out of bed every morning – were considered the most useful mobile phone feature by 35% of UK adults.