Majority of Under-45s Have Smartphones

Smartphones continue to make inroads in the mobile market, especially in the developed world. Although most mobile users are not yet smartphone owners, this isn't true in every demographic. If you're between ages 25 and 34, and you own a mobile phone, the chances are 62 percent that it's a smartphone. If you're a mobile phone owner between 18 and 24, or between 35 and 44, your chances of owning a smartphone are still better than even - 54 and 54 percent respectively. All this according to a widely reported Nielsen survey.

Above and below those ages, mobile owners have a less-than-average chance of owning a smartphone, but even in those age brackets, the numbers are growing. As one report says, "Smartphone usage is growing even among those 55 to 64. Though only 30 percent of people in this age range own a smartphone, that number is 5 points higher than Nielsen saw in the second quarter."

The survey also detailed just what kind of smartphones people were buying. Android phones outsell iPhones 43 to 28 percent, although the Android system is used by many different manufacturers. And Blackberry is still hanging in with 18 percent of smartphone users.

Under-45 crowd: Most carry smartphones now (CNET News, Nov. 3, 2011)