If Marilyn Monroe had been born in a different decade, she might have had to change the words of her song. A girl’s best friend, it seems, is no longer diamonds… but a mobile phone.

According to a survey conducted by communications company Sprint Nextel, more than half of the women polled made the majority of their calls on their mobile phones, and 37 percent of them wanted their phones on hand at all times. Only 30 percent of men wanted to be available to bosses and partners anywhere, anytime.

But women’s love of their phones isn’t limited to keeping it close. They also want it to be unique. Some 54 percent of women in the survey had downloaded ringtones, compared to 42 percent of the men, and many personalized them too.

For example, women use their phones to take pictures of taxi drivers in an effort to guarantee personal safety.

And the time-honored blind date could soon fall out of fashion, if the report’s conclusions are correct. More people might use phones to check out a potential date before actual meeting, or use video calls as part of an interactive dating.

None of this should come as surprise to anyone who has ever seen a teenage girl with a telephone or the inside of a woman’s wardrobe. While men see their mobile phones as tools that let them arrange meetings or exchange information, women see them as devices that allow them to stay in touch and maintain their social networks. And while men are attracted by features and buttons, for women, phones are fashion accessories that make a statement about who they are.

The good news for men though is that while a phone in a box is unlikely to make a good marriage proposal, they do make cheaper gifts than precious stones.

About the Author:
Vickie Clarke holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Yale University and serves as Content Manager of Ringtones Club (instant provider of 500,000 real ringtones).