Smartphones have evolved to the point where they are now starting to replace our purses and wallets, yet almost two thirds (62%) of mobile users think they are morphing so fast that manufacturers are forgetting about the basics, according to research among over 5000 smartphone users by financial comparison site uSwitch.com

The primary concern for almost three in 10 of the poll is how simple their handsets are to use, while more than one in five want improved mobile reception and better battery life.

Gimmicky add-ons like curved displays and eyeball tracking get short shrift, while only 13% class the ability to make payments by phone as a 'must have' feature.

However, fingerprint-scanning security, as showcased in the iPhone 5s, has won people over to become one of the most used features today. More than a third (34%) of iPhone owners now take advantage of this feature on a daily basis.

Camera updates are also proving popular, according to the research. Almost half (49%) of users say a zoom camera lens is a useful addition to a smartphone. More than a third (35%) use zoom lenses at least once a month, and front-facing cameras - perfectly positioned for ‘selfie’ shots - are used by more than three in 10 (31%) smartphone users at least every month.

Ernest Doku, mobiles expert at uSwitch.com, comments: “British smartphone users are wise to gimmickry. While mobile makers need phones that stand out from the throng, they sometimes forget that a phone is primarily a phone, and it still needs to do all the basics extremely well - such as make calls and not run out of battery.”