Just because you can, doesn’t mean that you should.
The biggest problem from my perspective is that you would be spending more time looking at your phone then you would be at the audience. This would prevent you from engaging with your audience.
I have seen speakers use their smart phones and/or tablets for their speaking notes. I didn’t find them to be effective speakers. They always seem to be frustrated with the technology. It can be easy to manipulate the small screens when calm, cool and collected but when under the audience’s scrutiny when you are public speaking, it can be a different story. Technology can go wonky.
Note cards with headlines to jog your memory are still in fashion and quite acceptable. A Powerpoint presentation can be helpful to remind you of your lines to deliver.
And if you happen to have your phone in your pocket when you are delivering your presentation, make sure you turn it off. Its bad enough when an audience member’s phone goes off but it is really embarrassing when it is your own. I have experienced it a couple times.
Originally answered on Quora.com
