Tablets + Smartphones Becoming Commonplace

Autumn colors in NJ

We continue to see more and more confirmation of the phenomenon of mobile devices, most notably tablets and smartphones. These two types of gadgets have in some ways become the true personal computers (PCs), fed by thousands and thousands of apps. Every individual who owns a smartphone or tablet decides which apps will join the default ones. 

According to the Pew Research Center, 56% of all Americans use smartphones. Another 35% use cell phones other than smartphones, and 9% do not use cell phones at all. Of the smartphone owners, this includes 28% on Android phones and 25% on iPhones. Smartphone ownership, while substantial across all demographic groups, is highest among the 18-29 age bracket, the Black community, the college educated, city and suburban dwellers, and higher-income earners. 

Another Pew study reports that e-reader usage has grown steadily, from just 2% in the Spring of 2009 to a solid 24% in September 2013. Tablet usage was a mere 3% in the Spring of 2010. As of September 2013, 35% of American adults own a tablet, suggesting that while there is a substantial base for reading-focused devices, the portable access to a much wider variety of information, entertainment, and other features of tablets result in a compelling product . With the holiday season approaching, Apple just announcing updated iPads, and its competitors releasing their own tablets, one would expect the upward trend to continue.

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