1. ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT | MOBILE PHONES
A first: Majority of U.S. adults
now own a smartphone
For the first time since the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project began systematically tracking
smartphone adoption, a majority of Americans now own a smartphone of some kind. Here’s a look at the growth:
35%
48%
17%
46%
41%
12%
56%
35%
9%
Smartphone Other
cellphone
No
cellphone
May 2011
February 2012
May 2013
Changes in smartphone
ownership, 2011–13
Percentage of all U.S. adults who own …
Samsung leads
the pack
Smartphone ownership by income/age
Annual global shipments
of smartphones grew by
more than 40 percent last
year, and Samsung
accounted for a quarter of
them, according to
Strategy Analytics.
Overall global shipments
Top makers
700.1
25.2%
21.3
40.3
8.6
4.6
490.5
In millions of units
Market share for new
shipments, 2012
2012
Samsung
Nokia
Apple
Others
ZTE
2011
SOURCES: BBC; McClatchy-TribuneSOURCE: Pew Research Center SOURCE: Pew Research Center
SOURCE: Pew Research Center
SOURCE: Pew Research Center
15%
20%
28%
10%
19%
25%
10%
6%
4%
2%
2%
1%
May
2011
Feb.
2012
May
2013
iPhone
Android
Blackberry
Windows
Cell owner
platform choices
Percentage of U.S.
cellphone owners who say
their phone is …
Smartphone ownership
by demographic group
Every major demographic group
experienced significant year-to-year
growth in smartphone ownership
between 2012 and 2013, although
seniors — defined as those 65 and
older — continue to exhibit relatively
low adoption levels compared with
other demographic groups.
Percentage within each group who own a smartphone
Men
Women
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
White
Black
Hispanic
59%
53%
79%
81%
69%
55%
39%
18%
53%
64%
60%
Gender
Age
Ethnicity
77%
47%
22%
8%
81%
68%
40%
21%
90%
87%
72%
43%
Less than $30,000 $30,000-$74,999 $75,000+
65+50-6430-4918-29
The bottom line
Adam Vital, AT&T vice president/
general manager, North Texas
Aaron W. Smith, senior researcher,
Pew Research Center’s Internet &
American Life Project
Jim Rossman,
The Dallas Morning News
“Today, people want to be connected
to what’s important to them wherever
they are, whether it’s to share photos
and experiences with friends, check
the news of the day or to find the
closest restaurant. That’s why the
popularity of the smartphone — and
the tablet — continues to skyrocket.
We’re in a mobile
revolution. People
want to be
untethered and enjoy
the freedom that
mobile technology
provides.”
“The research shows seniors are still
slow to adopt smartphones — only
18 percent have one — but I hear
from plenty of seniors who are
anxious to learn about technology.
Their questions show they don’t
want to be left behind, and they’re
also ready to show their
grandchildren what
they know.”
“In less than a decade, smartphones
have become the information appliance
of choice for a substantial majority of
Americans. And while users welcome
the convenience and connectivity, they
also worry about the downsides of
hyper-connectedness — from new
distractions and interruptions, to new
difficulties escaping the
demands of the
workplace.”
By MICHAEL HOGUE
Staff Artist
mhogue@dallasnews.com