Smartphone Penetration Surpasses Feature Phones in U.S.

The Pew Internet and American Life Project has released updated numbers showing that more Americans now own smartphones than basic cell phones.

Nearly half (46%) of American adults are smartphone owners as of February 2012, an increase of 11 percentage points over the 35% of Americans who owned a smartphone last May. Two in five adults (41%) own a cell phone that is not a smartphone, meaning that smartphone owners are now more prevalent within the overall population than owners of more basic mobile phones. (Pew)

The study was conducted among a sample of 2,253 adults, ages 18 and older.

The growth of smartphone owners over the last year is even more impressive. The release of the highly anticipated iPhone 4S alongside a bevy of aggressively priced Android devices paved the way for such growth.

Growth Across All Demographic Groups

Every major demographic group saw an increase in smartphone penetration over the last year. College graduates, 18-35 year old an affluent households maintain the highest penetration levels with each segment clock at least a 60% penetration. Seniors and those lacking a high school diploma saw relatively minor gains in comparison.

Overall, income, age and educational attainment have the strongest influence over smartphone penetration. See below from Pew.