I was having lunch with a couple of UX folks the other day, and the conversation turned to mobile phones… how we use them, and how we don’t. It occurred to me that if you reclassified my iPhone as simply a device, the telephone is one of the features I use least. I text, and look things up on the web occasionally, but find myself using the camera quite a bit as a documenting tool.

Here’s a few recent pictures from my phone, and how I use it.

DIY projects. I like to take a picture of the wiring prior to removing, just in case.

Comparision shopping. I’ll take pictures of prices, which I can later reference when I’m at another store looking at the same or similar product.

Quick capture. Rather than writing down directions or phone numbers, I’ll shoot a picture of what i need from my screen. Much faster than trying to look it up on the phone later.

Product shots. If I’m shopping around for a particular type of item, I’ll shoot pictures of the products that interest me. Later I can reference the photos and use them to remember where I saw what product.