Pew Internet, a part of the Pew Research Center, has released its Mobile Access 2010 report showing that 13% more US cell phone users are accessing the Internet over their mobile phones, to a total of 38% up from 25% a year ago.
Overall says the study, “40% of adults use the Internet, email or instant messaging on a mobile phone (up from the 32% of Americans who did this in 2009)”. The study’s other major findings of how Americans use their cell phones include:
- Take pictures—76% now do this, up from 66% in April 2009
- Send or receive text messages—72% vs. 65%
- Play games—34% vs. 27%
- Send or receive email—34% vs. 25%
- Record a video—34% vs. 19%
- Play music—33% vs. 21%
- Send or receive instant messages—30% vs. 20%
- Cell phone ownership is higher among African-Americans and Latinos than among whites (87% vs. 80%)
- Young adults (those ages 18-29) are also avid users of mobile data applications, but older adults are gaining fast.
Interestingly, the study also asked more generally how adults go online, finding that, “Nearly half of all adults (47%) go online with a laptop using a Wi-Fi connection or mobile broadband card (up from the 39% who did so as of April 2009).”
Here a PDF of the full report.
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