In an increasingly digital world, more and more people are demanding their internet access be always at their fingertips. Smartphones are becoming increasingly pervasive in society today, with their internet capabilities being one of their biggest appeals to the general public. Here are some important facts regarding today’s smartphones and how people are using them to access the internet faster and more often than ever before.
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- Tech-savvy in multiple ways: A majority of people who access the internet these days also own smartphones, allowing them to take their internet use on the go. As much as 80% of people who use the internet today also own a smartphone.
- Always connected: Cellphones have become a staple in today’s ever-connected society. Up to 95% of people in America today own and use cell phones, and just over three-quarters of Americans own a smartphone in particular. This is up from 35% in 2011, demonstrating the thorough proliferation of smart devices within the cell phone market.
- Internet-focused mobile devices: Smartphones and other mobile devices, such as tablets and e-readers, are rising in prevalence so much so that some households have taken to using mobile devices primarily to access the internet, over other features like texting and calls. In fact, as much as one in five Americans use their mobile devices primarily for internet access.
- Mobile window shopping: While many people use their mobile devices to access online shopping, far fewer people actually proceed to make purchases over their mobile devices. Mobile platforms are far more popular than desktop platforms for online shopping, however, people spend far more on desktop platforms than on mobile.
With smartphones becoming increasingly popular in society, it will be interesting to see where these trends take us in the future. Will desktops eventually be phased out in favor of entirely mobile devices, or will mobile devices eventually fall out of favor? Regardless of the outcome, it will be important to watch the prevalence of smartphones within society as an indicator for future technologies.
