Smartphones Are Changing Lives

2 comments By Chad Thiele Filed in market research, mobile, technology, trends Tagged with market research, mobile, technology, trends April 25th, 2012 @ 11:00 pm

Apple reported sales figures on Tuesday that made a lot of investors very happy.

According to The New York Times, “The company reported Tuesday that soaring sales of the iPhone, especially in China, helped Apple nearly double its profit in the company’s fiscal second quarter.”

The article also reports, “Apple said it sold 35.1 million iPhones in the quarter, an 88 percent increase from the period a year ago.”

This is another indication that, if they haven’t already, businesses should start developing a strategy to reach consumers via their smartphones. Those that don’t find way to connect with consumers via their smartphones risk losing out on a lot of potential sales.

Smartphone Ownership in the United States

A recently released study that was conducted by Arbitron and Edison Research sheds light on mobile phone usage among Americans age 12 and older. (Note: The study was conducted from January 20, 2012 to February 19, 2012.)

At the time the study was conducted, 44% of Americans age 12 and older owned a smartphone, up 42% in just one year.

The Impact of Owning a Smartphone

According to the study, smartphone owners are more likely to use their mobile phones several times per day or more for many different functions than their counterparts who own non-smartphone cell phones. (Surprisingly, smartphone users are even more likely to use their mobile phones several times per day or more for making and receiving calls than non-smartphone cell phone users.)

I’d speculate that usage of mobile phones for various functions is higher among smartphone users than it is among non-smartphone cell phone users due, in part, to the fact that early adopters of smartphones would most likely also be early adopters of other technologies that utilize the features that can be accessed on a mobile device. The fact that it costs a lot more to own a smartphone also probably influences the way consumers use their mobile phones.

Of course, some of the differences can be explained by the fact that smartphones, by definition, allow users to do a lot more things with greater ease than non-smartphone cell phones do.

With that said, it’s not surprising that of the digital devices/platforms that were asked about in the study, Apple iPhones and Android smartphones were the most likely to have a big impact on people’s lives.

People Are Attached to Their Smartphones

Overall, 60% of smartphone owners reported that their mobile device is always within arm’s length, and another 31% reported that they have their smartphone with them most of the time. In comparison, only 44% of non-smartphone cell phone users reported that they always have their cell phone with them, and another 33% said that they have their non-smartphone cell phone nearby most of the time.

Final Thoughts

The number of people who own smartphones continues to rise.

This is not surprising, given the fact that consumers can do so many cool things with their smartphones. So many things that many people who own smartphones report that these devices have had a big impact on the way that they live their life.

In fact, smartphones have become such an important part of the way that some Americans live their life that they always have their smartphone within reach.

Given the fact that so many consumers rely so heavily on their smartphones, don’t you think it sounds ridiculous for a company to say that investing in mobile marketing isn’t worth the effort?

Photo credit: renatomitra on Flickr.

Chad Thiele

Marketing analyst and strategist, freelance writer, content curator, applied sociologist, and a proud UW-Madison alumnus. My goal is to help businesses achieve their marketing objectives and business goals while gaining additional experience in the exciting world of digital marketing. I'm currently looking for my next career challenge. Please feel free to contact me anytime at: chadjthiele@gmail.com.

frank909

It is important to note that the early adopters are the most addicted to their smartphones. It is not necessarily true that as soon as someone gets a smartphone, they become an addict. I think that as more people get smartphones now, they will be more relaxed about them. The bulk of the population are more cost concious and will want to see value for money. They will get value when they can get a cheap smartphone from a prepaid operator like Tracfone, and not have to pay the excessive charges that now apply

http://1911mainstreet.com Chad Thiele

Frank,

Thank you for the comment.

I agree that the early adopters are probably always going to be the most active. However, I think that once people make the investment in a smartphone, they will want to get their money’s worth and use it more often. Some people might choose to cancel their landline telephone to save money, if they haven’t already.

I also agree that there is a segment of the population who won’t purchase a smartphone unless they can get a relatively cheap version of it. In the short term, these people may continue to purchase feature phones, as they often have some of the things found on smartphones (e.g., cameras, GPS, Internet, etc.) at a cheaper price point and often can be purchased with cheaper data plan options.

Either way, businesses need to explore the different ways to connect with consumers via their mobile devices, whether the consumers own smartphones, feature phones or standard cell phones. If consumers are looking for information on the go, there is a good chance that they will choose to buy from the brands and retailers that they find when they use their mobile device to do the search.

Thank you again for the comment.

Regards,

Chad Thiele