www.pewresearch.org
`
`JUNE 5, 2013
`
`Smartphone Ownership — 2013
`Update
`
`56% of American adults now own a smartphone of some kind; Android and iPhone
`owners account for half of the cell phone user population. Higher income adults and
`those under age 35 lead the way when it comes to smartphone ownership.
`
`Aaron Smith
`Senior Researcher, Pew Research Center
`
`http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Smartphone-Ownership-2013.aspx
`
`FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
`
`Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project
`1615 L St., N.W., Suite 700
`Washington, D.C. 20036
`
`Media Inquiries:
`202.419.4500
`
`1
`
`APPLE 1043
`
`

`

`56% of American adults are now smartphone owners
`
`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. Our
`definition of a smartphone owner includes anyone who says “yes” to one—or both—of the following
`questions:
`
` 55% of cell phone owners say that their phone is a smartphone.
` 58% of cell phone owners say that their phone operates on a smartphone platform common to
`the U.S. market.1
`
`Taken together, 61% of cell owners said yes to at least one of these questions and are classified as
`smartphone owners. Because 91% of the adult population now owns some kind of cell phone, that
`means that 56% of all American adults are now smartphone adopters. One third (35%) have some other
`kind of cell phone that is not a smartphone, and the remaining 9% of Americans do not own a cell phone
`at all.
`
`Changes in smartphone ownership, 2011–2013
`% of all U.S. adults who own…
`
`
`100%
`
`80%
`
`60%
`
`40%
`
`35%
`
`20%
`
`0%
`
`56%
`
`46%
`
`48%
`
`41%
`
`35%
`
`17%
`
`12%
`
`9%
`
`Smartphone
`
`Other cell phone
`
`No cell phone
`
`May 2011
`
`February 2012
`
`May 2013
`
`
`Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project April 26-May 22, 2011,
`January 20-February 19, 2012, and April 17-May 19, 2013 tracking surveys. For 2013
`data, n=2,252 adults and survey includes 1,127 cell phone interviews. All surveys
`include Spanish-language interviews.
`
`
`
`
`1 This includes anyone who identified their phone as an iPhone, Android phone, Blackberry, or Windows phone
`
`p e w i n t e r n e t . o r g
`
`
`
`
`2
`
`

`

`Demographic trends in smartphone ownership
`
`As has consistently been the case since we began measuring smartphone adoption two years ago,
`ownership is particularly high among younger adults, especially those in their twenties and thirties
`(although a majority of Americans in their mid-forties through mid-fifties are now smartphone adopters)
`and those with relatively high levels of household income and educational attainment.
`
`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. Some 18% of Americans age 65
`and older now own a smartphone, compared with 13% in February 2012.
`
`Smartphone ownership by demographic group—
`gender, age, race/ethnicity
`% within each group who own a smartphone
`
`
`
`All adults (n=2,252)
`
`Gender
`
`a Men (n=1,029)
`b Women (n=1,223)
`Age
`
`a
`
`b
`
`c
`
`d
`
`e
`
`18-24 (n=243)
`
`25-34 (n=284)
`
`35-44 (n=292)
`
`45-54 (n=377)
`
`55-64 (n=426)
`
`65+ (n=570)
`
`f
`Race/ethnicity
`a White, Non-Hispanic (n=1,571)
`Black, Non-Hispanic (n=252)
`
`b
`
`c
`
`Hispanic (n=249)
`
`Own a smartphone
`
`56%
`
`b
`59
`
`
`
`53
`
`cdef
`79
`
`cdef
`81
`
`
`def
`69
`
`
`ef
`55
`
`
`f
`39
`
`
`
`18
`
`53
`a
`64
`
`
`60
`
`Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, April
`17-May 19, 2013 Tracking Survey. Interviews were conducted in English
`and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. Margin of error is +/-2.3
`percentage points based on all adults (n=2,252).
`Note: Percentages marked with a superscript letter (e.g., a) indicate a
`statistically significant difference between that row and the row
`designated by that superscript letter, among categories of each
`demographic characteristic (e.g. age).
`
`
`
`
`
`p e w i n t e r n e t . o r g
`
`
`
`
`
`
`3
`
`

`

`Smartphone ownership by demographic group—
`education, household income, geography
`% within each group who own a smartphone
`
`
`
`All adults (n=2,252)
`
`Education attainment
`
`a
`
`b
`
`c
`
`d
`
`Less than high school (n=168)
`
`High school grad (n=630)
`
`Some College (n=588)
`
`College + (n=834)
`
`Household income
`
`a
`
`b
`
`c
`
`d
`
`Less than $30,000/yr (n=580)
`
`$30,000-$49,999 (n=374)
`
`$50,000-$74,999 (n=298)
`
`$75,000+ (n=582)
`
`Urbanity
`
`a
`
`b
`
`c
`
`Urban (n=763)
`
`Suburban (n=1,037)
`
`Rural (n=450)
`
`Own a smartphone
`
`56%
`
`36
`a
`46
`
`ab
`
`60
`abc
`70
`
`
`43
`a
`52
`
`a
`61
`
`abc
`78
`
`
`c
`59
`
`c
`59
`
`
`40
`
`Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, April
`17-May 19, 2013 Tracking Survey. Interviews were conducted in English
`and Spanish and on landline and cell phones. Margin of error is +/-2.3
`percentage points based on all adults (n=2,252).
`Note: Percentages marked with a superscript letter (e.g., a) indicate a
`statistically significant difference between that row and the row
`designated by that superscript letter, among categories of each
`demographic characteristic (e.g. age).
`
`
`
`Though growth in smartphone ownership has occurred up and down the economic spectrum, adoption
`still varies significantly by household income. However, that variation is unevenly distributed across
`different age groups. Younger adults—regardless of income level—are very likely to be smartphone
`owners. Conversely, for older adults smartphone ownership is more of an “elite” phenomenon:
`smartphones tend to be quite prevalent at the upper end of the income distribution but much less
`common among those with lower income levels.
`
`p e w i n t e r n e t . o r g
`
`
`
`
`4
`
`

`

`Smartphone ownership by income/age grouping
`% within each age/income grouping who own a smartphone (example: 77% of 18-29
`year olds with an annual household income of less than $30,000 are smartphone
`owners)
`
`
`90%
`
`87%
`
`81%
`
`77%
`
`68%
`
`72%
`
`47%
`
`40%
`
`43%
`
`22%
`
`21%
`
`8%
`
`100%
`
`80%
`
`60%
`
`40%
`
`20%
`
`0%
`
`18-29
`
`30-49
`
`50-64
`
`65+
`
`Less than $30,000
`
`$30,000-$74,999
`
`$75,000 or more
`
`Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, April 17-May 19,
`2013 Tracking Survey. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish and on
`landline and cell phones. Margin of error is +/-2.3 percentage points based on all
`adults (n=2,252).
`
`
`
`Trends in platform adoption
`
`Since 2011, the proportion of cell owners who say they own either an iPhone or an Android device have
`each grown dramatically. Android owners now represent 28% of all cell owners (up from 15% in May
`2011), while iPhone owners now represent 25% of the cell owner population (up from 10% in May
`2011). Meanwhile, the proportion of cell owners who say they own a Blackberry device has fallen from
`10% in May 2011 to just 4% in our most recent survey.
`
`p e w i n t e r n e t . o r g
`
`
`
`
`5
`
`

`

`Cell owner platform choices, 2011–2013
`% of cell phone owners who say their phone is …
`
`
`80%
`
`60%
`
`40%
`
`20%
`
`0%
`
`2%
`
`6%
`
`20%
`
`19%
`
`2%
`
`10%
`
`15%
`
`10%
`
`1%
`4%
`
`28%
`
`25%
`
`May 2011
`
`February 2012
`
`May 2013
`
`iPhone
`
`Android
`
`Blackberry Windows
`
`Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project April 26-May 22, 2011,
`January 20-February 19, 2012, and April 17-May 19, 2013 tracking surveys. For 2013 data,
`n=2,252 adults and survey includes 1,127 cell phone interviews. All surveys include
`Spanish-language interviews.
`
`
`
`
`
`Android and iPhone owners are equally common within the cell owner population as a whole, although
`this ratio differs across various demographic groups. Cell phone owners from a wide range of
`educational and household income groupings have similar levels of Android adoption, but those from
`the upper end of the income and education spectrum are much more likely than those with lower
`income and educational levels to say they own an iPhone. Indeed, fully half—49%—of cell owners with a
`household income of $150,000 or more say their phone is an iPhone. And African-American cell owners
`are more likely than whites or Latinos to say that their phone is an Android device as opposed to an
`iPhone.
`
`
`
`
`
`p e w i n t e r n e t . o r g
`
`
`
`
`6
`
`

`

`Demographic differences in iPhone and Android ownership
`% of cell owners in each group who own an iPhone or Android
`
`
`
`% who say their phone
`is an iPhone
`
`% who say their phone
`is an Android
`
`All cell owners (n=2,076)
`
`Gender
`
`a Men (n=967)
`b Women (n=1,109)
`Age
`
`a 18-24 (n=238)
`
`b 25-34 (n=279)
`
`c
`
`35-44 (n=283)
`
`d 45-54 (n=354)
`
`e 55-64 (n=392)
`65+ (n=478)
`f
`Race/ethnicity
`
`a White, Non-Hispanic (n=1,440)
`
`b Black, Non-Hispanic (n=238)
`
`c Hispanic (n=235)
`Education attainment
`Less than high school (n=144)
`
`a
`b High school grad (n=565)
`
`c
`
`Some College (n=545)
`
`d College + (n=799)
`Household income
`Less than $30,000/yr (n=504)
`
`a
`b $30,000-$49,999 (n=345)
`
`c
`
`$50,000-$74,999 (n=289)
`
`d $75,000+ (n=570)
`
`25%
`
`24
`
`26
`
`ef
`
`
`31
`def
`
`34
`
`
`
`ef
`
`
`
`29
`
`f
`
`f
`
`
`
`
`
`25
`
`19
`
`11
`
`b
`
`
`
`27
`
`16
`b
`
`26
`
`
`
`11
`a
`
`17
`ab
`
`27
`abc
`
`38
`
`
`
`23
`
`13
`a
`
`a
`
`25
`abc
`
`40
`
`
`
`28%
`
`b
`31
`
`
`
`26
`
`cdef
`43
`
`
`
`def
`40
`
`
`
`ef
`33
`ef
`27
`
`
`
`
`
`f
`17
`
`
`
`7
`
`26
`ac
`42
`
`
`
`27
`
`25
`27
`
`31
`
`29
`
`28
`27
`
`31
`
`31
`
`Source: Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, April 17-May 19, 2013
`Tracking Survey. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish and on landline and
`cell phones. Margin of error is +/-2.4 percentage points based on cell phone owners
`(n=2,076).
`Note: Columns marked with a superscript letter (a) or another letter indicate a statistically
`significant difference between that row and the row designated by that superscript letter.
`Statistical significance is determined inside the specific section covering each
`demographic trait.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`p e w i n t e r n e t . o r g
`
`
`
`
`7
`
`

`

`Survey Questions
`
`
`Spring 2013 Tracking Survey
`Data for April 17-May 19, 2013
`
`Final Topline
`
`5/21/2013
`
`
`
`Princeton Survey Research Associates International for
`the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project
`
`Sample: n=2,252 national adults, age 18 and older, including 1,127 cell phone interviews
`Interviewing dates: 04.17.2013 – 05.19.2013
`
`Margin of error is plus or minus 2.3 percentage points for results based on Total [n=2,252]
`Margin of error is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points for results based on all internet users [n=1,895]
`Margin of error is plus or minus 2.4 percentage points for results based on all cell phone owners [n=2,076]
`
`
`Q10
`
`Next... [IF REACHED ON A LANDLINE, READ: Please tell me if you happen to have the
`following items, or not.] Do you have... [INSERT ITEMS IN ORDER]?
`
`
`a. A cell phone2
`
`Current
`
`December 2012
`
`November 2012
`
`Sept 2012
`
`August 2012
`
`April 2012
`
`February 2012
`
`December 2011
`
`August 2011
`
`May 2011
`
`January 2011
`
`December 2010
`
`November 2010
`
`September 2010
`
`May 2010
`
`January 2010
`
`December 2009
`
`September 2009
`
`April 2009
`
`Dec 2008
`
`July 2008
`
`May 2008
`
`April 2008
`
`January 2008
`
`YES
`
`
`91
`87
`85
`85
`89
`88
`88
`87
`84
`83
`84
`81
`82
`85
`82
`80
`83
`84
`85
`84
`82
`78
`78
`77
`
`NO
`
`
`9
`13
`15
`15
`10
`12
`12
`13
`15
`17
`16
`19
`18
`15
`18
`20
`17
`15
`15
`16
`18
`22
`22
`22
`
`DON’T KNOW
`
`REFUSED
`
`
`0
`*
`0
`*
`0
`*
`0
`0
`*
`*
`*
`*
`0
`*
`*
`0
`0
`*
`*
`*
`*
`*
`*
`*
`
`
`*
`0
`*
`0
`*
`*
`*
`*
`*
`0
`*
`*
`*
`*
`0
`*
`*
`*
`*
`*
`--
`0
`--
`--
`
`
`2 Question was asked of landline sample only. Results shown here have been recalculated to include cell phone sample in
`the "Yes" percentage. Beginning September 2007, question/item was not asked of the cell phone sample, but trend results
`shown here reflect Total combined Landline and cell phone sample. In past polls, question was sometimes asked as an
`independent question and sometimes as an item in a series. Wording may vary from survey to survey.
`
`p e w i n t e r n e t . o r g
`
`
`
`
`8
`
`

`

`Dec 2007
`
`Sept 2007
`
`April 2006
`
`January 2005
`
`November 23-30, 2004
`
`75
`78
`73
`66
`65
`
`25
`22
`27
`34
`35
`
`*
`*
`*
`*
`*
`
`--
`--
`--
`--
`--
`
`
`SMART1 Some cell phones are called “smartphones” because of certain features they have. Is
`your cell phone a smartphone or not, or are you not sure?3
`
`Based on cell phone owners
`
`
`
`Current [N=2,076]
`December 2012 [N=1,954]
`November 2012 [N=1,992]
`September 2012 [N=2,581]
`April 2012 [N=1,954]
`February 2012 [N=1,961]
`May 2011 [N=1,914]
`
`YES,
`SMARTPHONE
`55
`52
`55
`53
`46
`45
`33
`
`NO, NOT A
`SMARTPHONE
`39
`41
`38
`40
`44
`46
`53
`
`NOT SURE/DON’T
`KNOW
`5
`6
`6
`6
`10
`8
`14
`
`REFUSED
`*
`*
`*
`*
`*
`*
`*
`
`
`SMART2 Which of the following best describes the type of cell phone you have? Is it an iPhone, a
`Blackberry, an Android phone, a Windows phone, or something else?4
`
`Based on cell phone owners
`
`
`%
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`CURR ENT
`25
`4
`28
`1
`n/a
`15
`7
`5
`3
`1
`1
`1
`*
`3
`5
`1
`[n=2,076]
`
`
`
`
`
`iPhone
`Blackberry
`Android
`Windows
`Palm
`Basic cell phone – unspecified (VOL.)
`Flip phone – unspecified (VOL.)
`Samsung – unspecified (VOL.)
`LG – unspecified (VOL.)
`Tracfone (VOL.)
`Motorola – unspecified (VOL.)
`Nokia – unspecified (VOL.)
`Pantech – unspecified (VOL.)
`Something else (SPECIFY)
`Don’t know
`Refused
`
`FEB 2012
`19
`6
`20
`2
`1
`16
`4
`8
`5
`3
`2
`1
`1
`6
`4
`*
`[n=1,961]
`
`DEC 2011
`15
`8
`20
`2
`2
`18
`6
`7
`4
`2
`2
`2
`1
`7
`4
`*
`[n=2,771]
`
`MAY 2011
`10
`10
`15
`2
`2
`8
`3
`7
`5
`2
`3
`2
`1
`16
`13
`1
`[n=,1914]
`
`
`
`
`
`
`3 September 2012 through December 2012, question wording was: “Some cell phones are called “smartphones” because of
`certain features they have. Is your cell phone a smartphone, such as an iPhone, Android, Blackberry or Windows phone, or
`are you not sure?”
`4 Prior to the current survey, question wording was: “Which of the following best describes the type of cell phone you have?
`Is it an iPhone, a Blackberry, an Android phone, a Windows phone, a Palm, or something else?”
`
`p e w i n t e r n e t . o r g
`
`
`
`
`9
`
`

`

`Methods
`
`This report is based on the findings of a survey on Americans' use of the Internet. The results in this
`report are based on data from telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates
`International from April 17 to May 19, 2013, among a sample of 2,252 adults, age 18 and older.
`Telephone interviews were conducted in English and Spanish by landline (1,125) and cell phone (1,127,
`including 571 without a landline phone). For results based on the total sample, one can say with 95%
`confidence that the error attributable to sampling is plus or minus 2.3 percentage points. For results
`based on Internet users5 (n=1,895), the margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
`In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting telephone surveys
`may introduce some error or bias into the findings of opinion polls.
`
`A combination of landline and cellular random digit dial (RDD) samples was used to represent all adults
`in the United States who have access to either a landline or cellular telephone. Both samples were
`provided by Survey Sampling International, LLC (SSI) according to PSRAI specifications. Numbers for the
`landline sample were drawn with equal probabilities from active blocks (area code + exchange + two-
`digit block number) that contained three or more residential directory listings. The cellular sample was
`not list-assisted, but was drawn through a systematic sampling from dedicated wireless 100-blocks and
`shared service 100-blocks with no directory-listed landline numbers.
`
`New sample was released daily and was kept in the field for at least five days. The sample was released
`in replicates, which are representative subsamples of the larger population. This ensures that complete
`call procedures were followed for the entire sample. At least 7 attempts were made to complete an
`interview at a sampled telephone number. The calls were staggered over times of day and days of the
`week to maximize the chances of making contact with a potential respondent. Each number received at
`least one daytime call in an attempt to find someone available. For the landline sample, interviewers
`asked to speak with the youngest adult male or female currently at home based on a random rotation. If
`no male/female was available, interviewers asked to speak with the youngest adult of the other gender.
`For the cellular sample, interviews were conducted with the person who answered the phone.
`Interviewers verified that the person was an adult and in a safe place before administering the survey.
`Cellular sample respondents were offered a post-paid cash incentive for their participation. All
`interviews completed on any given day were considered to be the final sample for that day.
`
`Weighting is generally used in survey analysis to compensate for sample designs and patterns of non-
`response that might bias results. A two-stage weighting procedure was used to weight this dual-frame
`sample. The first-stage corrected for different probabilities of selection associated with the number of
`adults in each household and each respondent’s telephone usage patterns.6 This weighting also adjusts
`for the overlapping landline and cell sample frames and the relative sizes of each frame and each
`sample.
`
`
`5 Internet user definition includes those who use the internet or email at least occasionally or access the internet on a
`mobile handheld device at least occasionally.
`6 i.e., whether respondents have only a landline telephone, only a cell phone, or both kinds of telephone.
`
`p e w i n t e r n e t . o r g
`
`
`
`
`10
`
`

`

`The second stage of weighting balances sample demographics to population parameters. The sample is
`balanced to match national population parameters for sex, age, education, race, Hispanic origin, region
`(U.S. Census definitions), population density, and telephone usage. The Hispanic origin was split out
`based on nativity; U.S born and non-U.S. born. The basic weighting parameters came from the US
`Census Bureau’s 2011 American Community Survey data. The population density parameter was derived
`from Census 2010 data. The telephone usage parameter came from an analysis of the January-June
`2012 National Health Interview Survey.
`
`Following is the full disposition of all sampled telephone numbers:
`
`
`Sample Disposition
`
`Landline
`Cell
`41,291
`24,698 Total Numbers Dialed
`
`
`1,755
`1,516
`12
`24,344
`2,038
`11,626
`28.2%
`
`
`679
`
`3,442
`
`41
`7,464
`64.2%
`
`
`
`411 Non-residential
`88 Computer/Fax
`---- Cell phone
`9,674 Other not working
`226 Additional projected not working
`14,299 Working numbers
`57.9% Working Rate
`
`
`
`75 No Answer / Busy
`
`3,668 Voice Mail
`
`16 Other Non-Contact
`10,540 Contacted numbers
`73.7% Contact Rate
`
`
`450
`
`
`
`1,537 Callback
`
`5,786
`1,228
`16.5%
`
`
`45
`----
`1,183
`96.3%
`
`
`58
`1,125
`95.1%
`
`7,097 Refusal
`1,906 Cooperating numbers
`18.1% Cooperation Rate
`
`
`68 Language Barrier
`684 Child's cell phone
`1,154 Eligible numbers
`60.5% Eligibility Rate
`
`
`27 Break-off
`1,127 Completes
`97.7% Completion Rate
`
`
`10.0%
`
`
`
`13.0% Response Rate
`
`
`
`
`
`
`The disposition reports all of the sampled telephone numbers ever dialed from the original telephone
`number samples. The response rate estimates the fraction of all eligible respondents in the sample that
`were ultimately interviewed. At PSRAI it is calculated by taking the product of three component rates:
`
`p e w i n t e r n e t . o r g
`
`
`
`
`11
`
`

`

` Contact rate – the proportion of working numbers where a request for interview was made
` Cooperation rate – the proportion of contacted numbers where a consent for interview was at
`least initially obtained, versus those refused
` Completion rate – the proportion of initially cooperating and eligible interviews that were
`completed
`
`Thus the response rate for the landline sample was 10 percent. The response rate for the cellular sample
`was 13 percent.
`
`
`
`p e w i n t e r n e t . o r g
`
`
`
`
`12
`
`