[This Nielsen survey portrays smart phone adoption trends. I suggest it begs the question of WHY underrepresented cohorts adopt them, HOW they use them and WHAT the phone companies can do to broaden appeal. These questions are best addressed through personal interviews.]
Whether or not you have a smartphone is closely related to both how old you are and how much money you make, according to a Nielsen survey in January of more than 20,000 mobile consumers.
While overall smartphone penetration stood at 48 percent in January, those in the 24-34 age group showed the greatest proportion of smartphone ownership, with 66 percent saying they had a smartphone. In the same age group, 8 of 10 of those that had gotten a new device in the last three months chose a smartphone. Among those who chose a device in the last three months, more than half of those under 65 had chosen a smartphone.
But age isn’t the only determinant of smartphone ownership. Income also plays a significant role. When age and income are both taken into account, older subscribers with higher incomes are more likely to have a smartphone. For example, those 55-64 making over 100K a year are almost as likely to have a smartphone as those in the 35-44 age bracket making 35-75K per year.
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