According to Pew Research, 17 percent of cell phone owners do most of their online browsing on their phone, meaning that they interface with your mobile optimized site if you have one or your regular website.
As of April 2012, 88 percent of U.S. adults own a cell phone of some kind as of April 2012, and 55 percent use their phone to go online. These “cell internet users” represent a notable increase from the 31 percent of cell owners who said that they used their phone to go online as recently as April 2009.
Young adults and non-whites are especially likely to use their cell phones for the majority of their online activity:
- 45% of all 18-29 year olds who use the internet on their cell phones do most of their online browsing on their mobile device
- 51% of African American cell internet users do most of their online browsing on their phone; 42% of Latino cell internet users fall into the “cell-mostly” category
The main reason why they conduct most of their online browsing on a mobile phone, these cell-mostly users point to three major factors:
- Cell phones are convenient, always available. 64% of cell-mostly internet users say factors related to convenience or the always-available nature of mobile phones when asked for the main reason
- Cell phones better fit people’s usage habits. 18% of cell-mostly internet users say that their online habits make their cell phone a simpler, more effective choice for going online
- Cell phones fill access gaps. 10% of cell-mostly internet users point towards a lack of other access options as the main reason why they primarily use their phone to go online
Just over half of American cell owners (53%, representing 46% of all U.S. adults) now own a smartphone of some kind, and 90% of these smartphone owners say that they use their phone to go online.
| User Demographic Cell Phone Use (% Using Internet or email on cell) | |||
| April 2009 | April 2012 | Go Online Mostly Using CellPhone | |
| All cell owners |
31% |
55% |
31% |
| Gender | |||
| Men |
35 |
57 |
29 |
| Women |
27 |
54 |
32 |
| Age | |||
| 18-24 |
45 |
75 |
45 (18-29) |
| 25-34 |
43 |
80 |
29 (30-49) |
| 35-44 |
38 |
68 |
11 (50+) |
| 45-54 |
28 |
53 |
|
| 55-64 |
17 |
30 |
|
| 65+ |
7 |
16 |
|
| Race/Ethnicity | |||
| White, non-Hispanic |
27 |
52 |
24 |
| Black, non-Hispanic |
44 |
64 |
51 |
| Hispanic |
44 |
63 |
42 |
| Household Income | |||
| Less than $30,000 |
26 |
50 |
43 |
| $30,000-$49,999 |
31 |
52 |
36 |
| $50,000-$74,999 |
29 |
60 |
24 |
| $75,000+ |
43 |
69 |
21 |
| Education Level | |||
| Less than High School |
28 |
45 |
39 (≤HS) |
| High School Grad |
24 |
49 |
|
| Some College |
35 |
57 |
38 |
| College+ |
36 |
64 |
16 |
| Geographic Location | |||
| Urban |
30 |
62 |
33 |
| Suburban |
25 |
56 |
28 |
| Rural |
17 |
44 |
32 |
| Source: PewResearch Center, July 2012 | |||
