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Most Americans Own a Smartphone

Over the past several years, smartphone ownership has risen dramatically. For the first time since Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project began tracking smartphone adoption two years ago, a majority of Americans now own a smartphone of some kind. Today, 56 percent of all Americans have a smartphone, leaving 35 percent with a feature phone or simpler and a lonely 9 percent with no cellphone at all.
/ Source: TechNewsDaily

Over the past several years, smartphone ownership has risen dramatically. For the first time since Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project began tracking smartphone adoption two years ago, a majority of Americans now own a smartphone of some kind. Today, 56 percent of all Americans have a smartphone, leaving 35 percent with a feature phone or simpler and a lonely 9 percent with no cellphone at all.

Regardless of income or education attained, younger people carry smartphones. In fact, 80 percent of people between the ages of 25 and 34 have one, followed closely by 79 percent of those ages 18 to 24.

But age, income and education make a big difference for older folks. For those ages 50 to 64, only 22 percent earning less than $30,000 per year have a  smartphone , but more than three times as many people in this age group who earn upward of $75,000 have one.

For those 65 or over, the disparity is even greater: Only 8 percent with incomes of $30,000 or less use a smartphone, while 43 percent in the more affluent group do — still a rate far lower than the general population.

Android or iPhone?

Android and iPhone users  are fairly evenly split across all smartphone users, with Android having a slight edge over iPhone — 28 percent and 25 percent, respectively. However, those in the upper end of the income and education spectrum are far more likely to have an iPhone. Indeed, half of cellphone owners with a household income of $150,000 or more said their phone is an iPhone.

However,  Android  has its share of fans among younger users (18 to 24) and among African-American cell owners, who are more likely than whites or Latinos to say that their phone is an Android device as opposed to an iPhone, Pew reported.

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