Smartphone use rises in US – but many owners struggle with cost, says study

In the last three years the number of Americans owning a smartphone has jumped from 35% to almost two-thirds but affordability has meant many have had difficulties paying for them, according to the latest Pew study.Questioning over 2,000 people by phone, the research group found that smartphone ownership was up to 64% by the end of 2014, and that the number of Americans who depend on their smartphone as their primary portal to the internet 15%.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/01/smartphone-users-us-end-contract-due-to-cost-pew-dataU.S. Smartphone Use in 2015
The traditional notion of “going online” often evokes images of a desktop or laptop computer with a full complement of features, such as a large screen, mouse, keyboard, wires, and a dedicated high-speed connection. But for many Americans, the reality of the online experience is substantially different. 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.Indeed, 7% of Americans own a smartphone but have neither traditional broadband service at home, nor easily available alternatives for going online other than their cell phone. This report documents the unique circumstances of this “smartphone-dependent” population, and also explores the ways in which smartphone owners use their phones to engage in a wide range of activities.
http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/