"Mobiles for museum visit should be abolished" : a comparison of smart replicas, smart cards, and phones

A comparative evaluation of smart replicas, phone app and smart cards looked at the personal preferences of visitors and the appeal of mobiles in museum exhibitions. As part of an exhibition evaluation, 76 participants used all three interactions modes and gave their opinions in a questionnaire. The result shows that Phone and Replica are equally liked but the Phone is the most disliked interaction mode. Preference for the phone is due to its mobility as opposed to a listen in place interaction; but the phone takes the attention away from the exhibition and isolates from the group. Visitors expect museums to provide the phones as opposed to apps for "bring your own".