Oversaturation: US smartphone ownership reaching peak levels in 2018 says new report

The oversaturation of smartphone markets around the globe has been apparent for years, and perhaps the issue is most evident in the largest consumer market on the planet - the USA. But what do the numbers show?

According to the latest data by Pew Research Center, 99% of adult Americans aged 18-49 currently own a cell phone, while 91% of people in the same group are smartphone owners. The total number of US adults who own a cell phone is estimated to be at around 95% and internet adoption stands at 89% (97% for the 18-49 group).

Interestingly, the numbers have not changed much from 2016, a clear indication that adoption rates are at peak levels. Of course, these figures don't take into account the fact that consumers will still upgrade to new models every few years but they clearly show that there aren't many non-users left to entice in the US. This is likely why in the last few years, most of the growth in the smartphone world has been largely driven by demand in China, India, and other emerging economies.

To attract more business in the US, tech companies will need to invest more in new services, technology, and gadgets. The data shows that the use of wearables, IoT devices, and smart TVs has increased in recent years. A sizable 47% of Americans take advantage of digital voice assistants on their smartphones or devices such as Google Home or Amazon Echo.

Lastly, Pew Research Center notes that soon it might not even make sense to track such data due to the ubiquity of technologies such as the internet and smartphones. Experts from the Center predict that the internet would become as essential to users as electricity.

source: Pew Research Center via Engadget