35% of American Adults Own a Smartphone

One Quarter Use Their Phone for Most of Their Online Browsing

A new Pew Research Center study, the Pew Internet & American Life Project, finds that 35% of American Adults own a smartphones. There May survey found 83% of U.S. Adults have a cell phone and that 42% of them own a smartphone or 1/3 of all adults.

Smartphone adoption is highest among the affluent and well-educated, the (relatively) young, and non-whites. Several groups have higher than average levels of smartphone adoption, including:
• The financially well-off and well-educated — 59% of adults living in a household earning income of $75,000 or more are smartphone owners; 48% of those with a college degree own smartphones.
• Those younger than age 45 — 58% of Americans between the ages of 25 and 34 now own a smartphone as do 49% of those ages 18-24 and 44% of those ages 35-44. Even among those with a household income of $30,000 or less, smartphone ownership rates for those ages 18-29 are equal to the national average.
• African-Americans and Latinos — 44% of blacks and Latinos are smartphone users.
• Urban and suburban residents are roughly twice as likely to own a smartphone as those living in rural areas, and employment status is also strongly correlated with smartphone ownership.

Mobile phones are a main source of internet access for one-quarter of the smartphone population
Some 87% of smartphone owners access the internet or email on their handheld, including two-thirds (68%) who do so on a typical day. When asked what device they normally use to access the internet, 25% of smartphone owners say that they mostly go online using their phone, rather than with a computer. While many of these individuals have other sources of online access at home, roughly one third of these “cell mostly” internet users lack a high-speed home broadband connection.

Smartphone owners under the age of 30, non-white smartphone users and smartphone owners with relatively low income and education levels are particularly likely to say that they mostly go online using their phones.

Android is the most common smartphone platform, followed by iPhone and Blackberry devices
Phones operating on the Android platform are currently the most prevalent type of smartphone, followed by iPhones and Blackberry devices.

Demographically, Android phones are especially common among young adults and African-Americans, while iPhones and Blackberry devices are most prevalent among college graduates and the financially well-off.

Read the full report for an in-depth look at the demographics of smartphone owners and how they use their devices at pewinternet.org.

Smartphone Definition:
A smartphone owner includes anyone who falls into either of the following two categories:
• One-third of cell owners (33%) say that their phone is a smartphone.
• Two-in-five cell owners (39%) say that their phone operates on a smartphone platform (these include iPhones and Blackberry devices, as well as phones running the Android, Windows or Palm operating systems).

July 11, 2011 in Blog   |   No Comments

Apple iPad accounts for more than 25 percent of U.S. Mobile Web Usage

The latest research from NetMarketShare shows just how dominate Apple is when it comes to mobile web access and consumption. Their latest research shows that more than 1 percent of all Internet browsing is now done on an iPad and in the US, over 2% of overall browsing.

Apple’s iPhone is the number one way Americans are accessing the mobile Web. Put another way, Apple owns over 60% of mobile web browsing. Considering that the iPad is just over a year old, it is shocking how quickly people have gravitated to using it for daily mobile web consumption. Apple has connected today’s mobile consumers to the web better than anyone.

The iPhone took the top ranking, accounting for 35.2 percent of the U.S mobile Web browsing market share, the iPad at 25.5% of mobile web browsing, followed by Android devices, with a 31.6% share.

In June, ComScore reported that the Apple iPad accounts for 97 percent of all tablet traffic in the U.S., despite the entrance of highly anticipated competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Motorola Xoom, BlackBerry PlayBook, the HP TouchPad and others.

According to comScore, Android-based tablets took up only 0.6 percent of all tablet traffic, while “other” tablets (in other words, the PlayBook), took up 0.1 percent.

Additional research from Net Applications shows that in the US, smartphones and tablets accounted for 8.2 percent of all browsing activities during June. Apple’s iOS-based iPhone and iPad, which run Safari, accounted for a combined five percent share of the U.S. browser market.

Android-based smartphones commanded 2.6 percent of the U.S. browser market, according to Net Applications. By contrast, Research In Motion’s BlackBerry platform accounted for only a 0.57 percent share.

BOTTOM LINE: Mobile web usage is growing quickly with the continued increases in smartphone and tablet sales (mainly the iPad). What’s your mobile strategy? Let QWASI help your organization discover the power of mobile.

July 10, 2011 in Blog   |   No Comments

Games are Most Downloaded and Most Purchased Mobile Apps

Nielsen recently published their findings on how consumers are using Mobile Apps. It didn’t come as a big surprise to find that games were the most downloaded and purchased mobile apps on today’s smartphones. The market research firm on Wednesday published findings from its recent Mobile Insights and Mobile Apps Playbook for the second quarter 2011 and “Games” was once again the most popular app category.

They found that 64% of app downloaders – smartphone users surveyed who had downloaded an app within the past 30 days – reported having downloaded at least one game over the past 30 days, just ahead of weather apps at 60% and social networking apps at 56%.

What’s more, a whopping 93% of app downloaders are willing to pay for the games they play. iPhone owners seem appear to be the most avid gamers too – iPhone gamers play games for about 14.7 hours on average each month which is nearly twice as long as the average mobile gamer last quarter.

Nielsen also found that consumers with iPhones, Windows Phones or Android phones were likely to have downloaded the games they play, while BlackBerry users and feature phone users typically played pre-loaded games.

FULL REPORT: Click here.

July 6, 2011 in Blog   |   No Comments

Over 90% of Americans want or already own a Tablet. How about you?

According to a new reports conducted by Kelton Research on behalf of Samsung, 90% of U.S. consumers either already own a tablet or would consider purchasing one.

THE FINDINGS
Out of 1,000 people surveyed:
76% use the devices to read books or news or books
64% watch TV shows and/or movies
61% listen to music
56% update their social network profiles

Additionally, it is worth noting that 53% said they would rather play games on a tablet than a PC or dedicated game console and 41% shared they were interested in video chat.

The national survey, commissioned by Samsung Mobile, was conducted by Kelton Research and included 1,000 Americans ages 18 and older. Samsung had the survey conducted as part of an upcoming launch for their Galaxy Tab 10.1 device powered by Google’s Android 3.1 Honeycomb OS.

THE iCLOUD
Just this week, Steve Jobs also introduced the world to the new iOS5 which promises greater notifications, messaging options and hooks into their new iCloud service. Apple will launch the new iOS in the coming months across all their latest devices including iPad, iPod and iPhone.

According to John Gruber, a veteran Apple Commentator, the new “iCloud will shape the next 10 years the way the iTunes-on-your-Mac/PC digital hub shaped the last 10,” he wrote. “This is a fundamentally different vision for the coming decade than Google’s. In both cases, your data is in the cloud, and you can access it from anywhere with a network connection. But Google’s vision is about software you run in a web browser. Apple’s is about native apps you run on devices. Apple is as committed to native apps – on the desktop, tablet, and handheld – as it has ever been.”

It will be interesting to see how Google responds with future versions of Android or if it will leave it up to developers to share their open-source direction for their platform.

Bottom Line: Apple continues to dominate the Tablet space making it even easier for these users to be connected to the other facets of their life (and Apple devices). The average American wants a tablet and the ease of access it provides to information and content. Brands need to be mindful of these trends and be sure to include them in their marketing mix and mobile strategy.

June 8, 2011 in Blog   |   No Comments

Apple and the new frontier of iCommerce

How Apple created and continues to innovate the digital marketplace of tomorrow.

COMMENTARY: I loved my Zune 30 – a music device introduced by Microsoft in 2006. It was a great MP3 player. The first generation Zune was a 30GB model in black. I loved it so much that I ended up buying one for my wife, in white, the next year. After purchasing my Zune, I then proceeded to spend just as much on accessorizing it as I did on the device itself! As we all know, accessories alone- from gels to screen protectors- are multi-billion-dollar industries. From there, the focus shifts to power sources, because of course you need a power cord for your computer (USB) and for your car so you don’t run out of juice. Speaking of your car – where you listen to your tunes- you’ll need an adapter for the audio system (unless your car has an accessory jack and AUX input, in which case you will need yet another cord). And finally, you’ll want to be able to listen to your tunes in your office or around the house. You don’t want to be rude and walk around the house jamming to the latest download with your headphones. However, if you’re a teen, then not having a pair of headphone in your ears probably never occurred to you.

Aside from all of these “additions” that I did not consider prior to my purchase, I could not have been happier with my Zune. I liked the interface, software and storage it offered, which is appropriate because at the time I was considered a full-fledged PC guy. Until one day, when my Zune took a swim in the reservoir of my coffee pot. It was all downhill from there.

Today, as I type this on my silver Macbook Pro, I should clarify that my “full conversion” to a MAC Guy began with my iPhone. While deciding whether or not to replace my beloved Zune, I was enticed to consider the iPod. I ended up with an iPhone instead, converted to iTunes (proprietary formats and interface) and eventually purchased said Macbook. See, I told you it was a slippery slope.

I had fought getting a Mac for years. I use my laptop for more than 12 hours a day, causing me to chew through one a year, regardless of brand or price range. My experience with the longevity of my iPhone is what ultimately led me to consider the Macbook, and I will never look back. Call this my brief testimonial for Apple; a simple story of how one PC Guy became a Mac Guy and a diehard Apple fan. I attribute 80% of my Apple conversion to the iPhone. Without my iPhone, I would still not understand why everyone has become so gaga over Apple. Now, anything Apple releases, I have to contemplate adding it to my wish list, considering how it will make my work and play easier and more enjoyable.

Many ask me if I like my iTunes software compared to Zune. The answer is a resounding “NO.” While Microsoft seems to have every step of the process ironed out and has proved to be successful, iTunes remains difficult for first-timers to navigate through even simple tasks. However, once you master iTunes on your computer or iPhone, making a purchase is simple and repeat purchases are even easier with a click of a button. In my opinion, Apple still needs to fix some snags before iTunes grows into an even larger online marketplace.

So how does Apple continue to grow despite a weak application called iTunes? Simple: sexy devices that you can’t put down and great marketing. They are smooth, slick, and intuitive, impressive to almost everyone. And they are driving commerce. The iTunes software can only improve, and I have confidence that as it evolves with new downloads and digital content, purchases will increase, as will Apple’s dominance as a retailer.

Let’s take a look at a brief history on how Apple (and the iPod) revolutionized digital purchases.

The iPod came on the scene in 2001 (and was met with great skepticism regarding Apple and their business model). By 2009, the skeptics long since silenced, iPod and iTunes sales added more than $12 Billion to Apple’s revenue. What Apple accomplished helped to change the way music is bought and sold. Remember the days you could go to the mall and buy the latest cassette tape and then CD from a “record store” such as Coconuts, Strawberries, Planet Music or Tower Records? And while you can still find a few F.Y.E and Suncoast stores at some malls, I wonder for how long. With the introduction of the iPhone, physical media has been dealt the final blow and is becoming obsolete. Apple developed an empire that created a new segment of the market: highly interactive phones that included touch screens and mobile marketplaces for Music, Books and Apps.

In September 2009, Apple announced that it has sold more than 30,000,000 iPhones. Over 2 billion app downloads, with 100 million accounts with credit cards and 8.5 billion songs sold. Apple currently has 73.8 percent of the Music Device market (followed by 18 percent held by “other,” SanDisk with around 7.2 percent and Microsoft about 1.1 percent share). Apple has also shown, with its own data, that 50 percent of new iPod sales are to new customers (those who haven’t previously owned one) and the total number of iPods sold is closing in on 225 million units.

So how does this story about my Zune and iPhone continue as we begin this new decade?

With the launch date of the Apple iPad upon us, the same company that dominates the music device category is looking to do the same with tablet or slate devices. Their digital sales will continue to propel their business, as others like Amazon and Microsoft (don’t count them out….yet) work to overthrow the Apple empire. The battle is really not about music, books or movies. For Apple, it’s all about iCommerce.

So what’s on the horizon? High definition investments in each home have significantly driven the bottom line for companies like Best Buy and WalMart. And it hasn’t escaped the attention of those who deliver content to your home, such as cable companies and even Verizon (with their FIOS service).

Xfinity (Comcast) is working on new technology to further exploit their relationships with subscribers (a brilliant subscription model). They are actively working on new ways to provide an even better experience for those people adding new devices to their televisions, ranging from networked Blu-ray players to computers running Windows 7 Media Center equipped with a cable card. Verizon’s FIOS now sports Facebook and Twitter integrated into their service so you can multi-task and tweet or post a status update. And don’t forget leveraging TV content through online and device distribution.

A recent DirectTV commercial that showed a bank hold-up with a guy on the floor using his phone to tell his TV to record a show is a great example of the power of mobile access. That’s one example of building a ubiquitous network. What about activating each device the cable subscriber uses in and outside the home from the computer to mobile phone to their new iPad? Now that’s bringing it all together. It’s quickly moving into the “cloud” and a device like the iPad is helping to make that push and thrust for the industry with Touch, Social Connections, Location-based, Tablet, Wireless and Commerce.

The battle now is brewing over devices and distribution of all kinds from advertising to content. And yes, including video – even your TV will soon reclaim center stage appearances again as it becomes more interactive and connected. You will see that the new frontier will be centered around connected devices. And who can we count on to be right in the middle of the commerce war? Why Apple, of course.

And may the best one win – the consumer!

THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN MOBILE MARKETER. Read it here.

About the Author:
David Geipel is COO & Founder of QWASI (http://www.qwasi.com). You can reach him at dgeipel at qwasi.com or chat with him – text DAVE to 79274 (QWASI).

NOTE: This is not an endorsement for Apple. We consider them to be the leading innovator today for consumer adoption of interactive commerce. The iPad debuts at Apple stores on April 3, 2010. Start standing in line now.

April 1, 2010 in Blog   |   No Comments