Smartphone Ownership Reaches Record High in U.S.

Consumers in the United States own 27 million more smartphones than they did last year, an increase of 13%, says Consumer Technology Association (CTA).

ARLINGTON Va. – Smartphone adoption has hit a record high in the United States with the devices now found in 80% of households, marking a 6% increase year-over-year, according to new research by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).

U.S. consumers own 27 million more smartphones than they did last year, CTA’s 19th Annual Consumer Technology Ownership and Market Potential Study shows.  In keeping with a decades-long trend, televisions remain the most popular technology device in the U.S. Nearly every household (96%) owns at least one TV.

From 2016 to 2017, the U.S. market saw an increase in the overall installed base of connected devices including smart home devices, smart TVs, wearables and wireless speakers. As more consumers recognize the lifestyle-enhancing ability of technology, smartphones will continue to be one of the most pervasive technologies owned in homes throughout the nation, says CTA President and CEO Gary Shapiro.

“Connectivity – the anytime/anywhere access to information and entertainment we now expect – is a driving trend of our time, supported by the continued growth we’ve seen in smartphone ownership,” Shapiro says. “Smartphones are our personal hubs for innovative technologies like smart homes, connected cars and voice-recognition services.”


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In other survey highlights, 3 of the top 5 most frequently-owned technology devices are products with screens: televisions, smartphones and laptops. Those numbers can be expected to increase as one-third of consumers tell CTA they will buy at least one smartphone in 2017, while one-fifth say they plan to buy a television or laptop in the coming year.

“U.S. consumers are quickly embracing the rapid rise of today’s ‘screen culture,’ demonstrating their appetite for connected devices that enable easy and accessible consumption of content of all types,” says Steve Koenig, senior director of market research, CTA.

Most Commonly Owned Products

While the list is largely consistent with 2016’s report, CTA said it identified a few notable changes within its annual top five rankings of most frequently owned tech devices in U.S. households:

Televisions: While household ownership remains steady at 96% owning at least one TV, the total number of units owned (308 million) decreased by 3% compared to the previous year, reflecting a very slight decrease in the number of TVs in use per household.

Smartphones: With smartphones reaching a record level of household penetration (80%), they jumped solidly into second place among the nation’s most frequently owned tech products; the total number of smartphones owned also increased significantly to 238 million (up 13%).

DVD/Blu-ray players: After ranking second on this list for several years, household ownership levels dropped seven percentage points year-over-year (70%) and unit ownership fell 14 percentage points (142 million).

Wired headphones and earbuds: With the addition of earbuds, household ownership of this category now sits at 70%, boosting this audio technology up one spot from last year’s report; these are the nation’s most frequently owned tech product by unit (352 million).

Notebooks, laptops or netbooks: While household ownership increased slightly (69%, up one percentage point), the category fell one spot in the rankings despite a 12% year-over-year jump in unit ownership.

CTA also reported:

Largest Increases in Connected Device Ownership

Smartphones and in-vehicle communications/safety systems saw the largest gains in household ownership among connected devices – both increasing by six percentage points year-over-year. Almost half (45%) of U.S. households now have at least one vehicle with a driver-assistive safety or communication system such as back-up sensors, rearview cameras or hands-free calling. Smart home devices, smart TVs, smartwatches, wearable activity trackers and wireless speakers each saw an increase in household ownership of 4% year-over-year.

“Our research last year showed most consumers are excited about automated driving features and self-driving cars, but there’s still some hesitancy about the technology,” says Koenig. “This report is further evidence that, despite that wariness, more and more drivers want innovations that help keep them safer on the road. So, as a broader range of our driving tasks are automated via driving-assist technologies, eventually, riding in a self-driving car will be just an incremental step from the in-car tech we’ve all come to know and love.”

Emerging Technologies

Among emerging technologies, 4K Ultra HD (UHD) television is enjoying the fastest growth in ownership. CTA’s research analysis shows 16% of U.S. households now own a 4K UHD TV – up nine percentage points year-over-year, and 11% of U.S. households plan to purchase a 4K UHD TV in the coming year. Other emerging technologies expected to experience significant year-over-year ownership growth in the year to come include voice-activated digital assistants, drones and virtual reality headsets.

The Consumer Technology Ownership and Market Potential Study aims to determine ownership and purchase intent of consumer technology products among U.S. households across various categories. The report was administered Feb. 2-13 via a dual-frame telephone interview to 2,014 U.S. adults.

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Although Bosch’s name is quite familiar to those in the security industry, his previous experience has been in daily newspaper journalism. Prior to joining SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION in 2006, he spent 15 years with the Los Angeles Times, where he performed a wide assortment of editorial responsibilities, including feature and metro department assignments as well as content producing for latimes.com. Bosch is a graduate of California State University, Fresno with a degree in Mass Communication & Journalism. In 2007, he successfully completed the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association’s National Training School coursework to become a Certified Level I Alarm Technician.

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