Pew Reports Smartphone Ownership Increases: Seniors Remain Slow to Adopt

by Holly Shoemaker

New research has come out regarding smartphone use in the United States. The results, published by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, is based on a telephone survey where respondents answered questions regarding their use of the Internet.

Numbers at a Glance

• Almost half of those surveyed, or 46 percent, reported they owned a smartphone. This is an increase of 11 percent since last May.
• Two out of five adults, or 41 percent, own a traditional cell phone.
• Almost every demographic group saw an increase in smartphone purchases. The highest growth occurred in the lowest income bracket. Households that earned $30,000 per year or less reported a 12 percent increase in smartphone use. Overall, that demographic is less likely to purchase a smartphone. Those in the 18-35 age group, college graduates and those who reported an annual household income of $75,000 or more, saw smartphone adoption levels increase by approximately 60 percent.
• Smartphone adoption is slowest among those who are 65 and older. Of the seniors who took part in this survey, 13 percent said they owned a smartphone.
• Four percent of respondents said they did not know if they owned a smartphone. That number has decreased from the 14 percent who reported in May 2011 that they did not know if their cell phone was a smartphone.

Breakdown by Platform

• Twenty percent of respondents said they owned an Android phone.
• Nineteen percent of respondents said they owned an iPhone.
• Six percent of respondents said they owned a BlackBerry - this is a 10 percent decline since May 2011.

Concluding Thoughts

These figures are unsurprising. With all the difficulties Research in Motion (RIM) has faced with getting upgrades to its customers, I would expect to see a decline in reported numbers for the BlackBerry. As for seniors, that number is not surprising either. Smartphone advertising does not target that age group. As for those who still remain unsure if they own a smartphone, as I have mentioned before, consumers become overloaded with too many choices. That likely accounts for those who admitted they were unsure.