Pew: Domestic smartphone penetration hits 64%
WASHINGTON – According to a Pew Research Poll, smartphone ownership in the United States has reached 64%, with roughly half of people surveyed responding that their smartphone is something they “couldn’t live without.”
The report finds that smartphone ownership is highest among millennials age 18-29 and among people making at least $75,000 per year, with each group showing an 85% ownership rate. Poor and rural Americans are still the least likely to own a smartphone, with only 50% of rural or low-income Americans owing smartphones.
It seems an increasing number of Americans are using their smartphones as their primary or secondary means to access the Internet. Of those surveyed, 17% said they have no Internet access at home other than their smartphone data plan; 7% stated they also had no easy alternative to Internet access such as a public library.
The report also highlights the primary use of smartphones by their users, with the majority confirming they primarily use their device for texting. The second most-used functionality is voice call, and video call was the third most widely used feature. Listening to music was the least widely used function out of seven total smartphone functions the report examined.
The report concludes that Americans are using their phones more and more at home and not only as a means of communication but as a way of avoiding interaction with unknown people.
While the use of smartphones for researching sensitive health issues, banking and alleviating boredom is becoming increasingly common among all groups, with the 18- to 29-year-old reporting group leading in every category accessed.
From the report: “An experience sampling of smartphone owners over the course of a week illustrates how young adults have deeply embedded mobile devices into the daily contours of their lives.”
