US smartphone penetration still only 64% - survey

A new survey conducted by US polling house Pew Research Center has revealed 64% of US adults own a smartphone. While this is almost double the population penetration of four years ago, it’s still relatively low for such a developed country that is, after all, the home of Apple and Android.

Other developed regions such as Western Europe and East Asia often have smartphone population penetration rates in excess of 80% so this data implies there are swathes of the US that still don’t see the need for mobile internet. Poor network coverage in rural areas could also be a factor.

On the flip side, a significant minority of Americans – 10% – rely entirely on mobile data for access to the internet, while 15% say their connectivity options other than mobile are “limited”.

“Today nearly two-thirds of Americans own a smartphone, and 19% of Americans rely to some degree on a smartphone for accessing online services and information and for staying connected to the world around them – either because they lack broadband at home, or because they have few options for online access other than their cell phone,” said the piece.

There is also some interesting data about what people use their smartphones for, with the majority of users researching health conditions and doing online banking on their smartphones, although younger users are far more likely to do things like browse the internet, watch video and listen to music, implying not everyone fully appreciates the potential of these devices even when they own one.