Nov. 3, 2011 at 11:11 AM ET
If you're under the age of 45, you might have noticed that your peers seem to be gravitating toward more smartphones, a trend that Nielsen says is most prominent for mobile subscribers ages 25 to 34.
Nielsen’s findings for the third quarter of this year reveal that the "vast majority" of mobile subscribers under the age of 45 now have smartphones. Sixty-two percent of those ages 25 to 34 say they have one, and ownership in other under-45 age brackets is well over 50 percent.
Parents of those generations seem to be picking up smartphones more frequently and readily as well, with an increase of five percent during this quarter to 30 percent for those ages 55 to 64.
For other age ranges, the penetration is strong, but doesn't reach half. Nearly 40 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds and 45- to 54-year-olds say they have them.
Among all U.S. mobile phone subscribers, 43 percent surveyed said they own a smartphone.
While another recent report showed a first-time ever drop in U.S. smartphone sales, Nielsen's survey shows "Android remains the most popular smartphone operating system in the United States, with 43 percent of the market, while Apple is the top smartphone manufacturer, with 28 percent of smartphone consumers sporting an Apple iPhone."
More stories:
- Smartphone sales down for the first time
- More people buying smartphones, mostly Android
- Nielsen: Google & Facebook rule Android use
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