Touch-screen phone use soars, iPhone on top
Unsurprisingly, the iPhone 3G S is tops in touch-screen phones.
(Credit: CBS Interactive)Market research firm ComScore reported on Tuesday that touch-screen mobile-phone adoption is not only on the rise, it's growing at a rapid rate.
Touch-screen phone adoption grew by 159 percent between August 2008 and August 2009, according to ComScore. The firm also found that by the end of August 2009, there were 23.8 million users with touch-screen mobile phones in the United States alone. In August 2008, just over 9.2 million people were using touch-screen phones.
But it's not just the touch screen that's enjoying strong growth. ComScore also found that smartphones are gaining traction across the U.S. Between August 2008 and August 2009, smartphone adoption grew by 63 percent. There were 20.7 million mobile subscribers using smartphones in August 2008. More than 33.7 million subscribers had smartphones by August 2009.
Unsurprisingly, it was the iPhone that led the way during that period. According to ComScore, the iPhone was the top touch-screen device for users aged 13 and older, capturing 32.9 percent of the touch-screen market. The LG Dare placed a distant second, accounting for 8.7 percent of the touch-screen phones in the wild. That device was followed up by the LG Voyager, BlackBerry Storm, and Palm Treo, which captured 7.8 percent, 7 percent, and 6.5 percent of the market, respectively.
It's also worth noting that the average user of a touch-screen device is younger than those who use standard mobile phones. According to ComScore, 51.4 percent of smartphone users are under the age of 35. A whopping 57.7 percent of touch-screen users fall within that age range. ComScore also found that 20.6 percent of touch-screen users range in age between 18 and 24. Less than 5 percent of touch-screen users are 65 and older.
Do you fall in line with these stats? Let us know in the comments below.
Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
wait for the trolls....
Going to call me a troll? That's fine. I just used the exact same logic as you did, so keep that in mind before you fling names.
Heh.
Really? And when did they attain that position? Oh, the 1990's? Like 10-15 years ago?
Hrm. Guess the ol' logic isn't holding up there, is it? ;)
There's a stat for that (yes Microsoft still dominates). Try reality. It just works.
Dear kojacked:
There is a vast difference between a rapidly growing force in a young market, and a bloated declining has-been in a mature market that can only, at best, manage to keep the bleeding to a minimum. Those "stats" you mention show that your idol has been losing marketshare more and more these days. Not exactly something to brag about, yanno?
@Random_Walk another apple paid post, you lost credibility."
@topgunb2-And do you have any??
Logic is still holding up actually. Windows holds over 90% of the OS market and has been on top for (as you pointed out) 10 - 15 years. But since that's a Microsoft product, we can't let that look like an achievement, can we?
And don't get me wrong, there is a difference here. Windows holds over 90% of the personal computer operating system market. iPhone holds 32.9% of its market, and that's not until you break the market down to smart phone AND touch screen. But since that's NOT a Microsoft product, we can let that look like an achievement, can't we? :)
After using my iPhone for over a year I can''t imagine going back to an old style phone/Palm/Blackberry. I could get used to the physical keys of course, but I see the advantage of the touchscreen.
Have you tried the Magic Mouse? I am very much liking mine.
waiting for expose gestures and some way for a middle click.
I tried the Magic Mouse at the local Apple Store this past weekend: very slick. I think Apple finally released a decent mouse. I will probably buy one in the not too distant future; I'm just waiting for some maturity from the device driver software.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/09/17/palm-dances-around-pre-sales-figures/
People said the iPhone was getting old.. then the 3GS came out.. and look at how many they sold. All they did was make it a little faster and add video.
You can't even use data and talk on the Pre at the same time...
@ballmerisanape: You accuse me of spin yet you make a completely bogus claim in your post. Spin it all you want, you are just showing your ignorance.
Go look at Sprint's own website.
Pre
CNET editor rating = 3.5
user rating = 3.8
Samsung Moment (Android)
CNET editor rating = 3.5
user rating = 4.5
HTC Hero (Android)
CNET editor rating = 4.0
user rating = 4.6
The ratings tell you everything you need to know...that 2009 CES media hoopla was all BS.
Guys, I had a sprint Starcom 6800 MS based Pocket PC phone that hasn't given me a single problem (other than batteries reaching then end of their lifespans) in years. I finally cashed in on a HTC last month which works great.
Now. . . my wife has been working for AT&T customer service while in grad school and I assure you, the iPhone is NOT a high quality device. She can regale you many stories of customers who had problems with the phone's mechanics and operation, and this is not speaking of AT&Ts poor service (I use Sprint) so the popular myth, although the phone has a large number of applications and works well, is that the iPhone is at some higher level of quality. In fact, proportional to the amount of iPhone accounts active, it is the highest failing device AT&T provides service for, according to both automatically generated stats from the calling center's software system AND self elected customer phone surveys as to why they are calling in!
And don't think its b/c iPhone users have a higher propensity to call in when their phone fails, because the customers calling in are about evenly distributed among the varying models of phones with accounts, but iPhone users call in more about a mechanical/electrical problems more than any other phone model.
The iPhone is a fantastic design, simple interface that any moron can become productive on, drinking a virtual beer in no time, but anyone who believes it is of higher quality has been duped.
Apart from anecdotal information from your wife, do you have facts to back up your assertion?
This who's on top bit means nothing unless you pick your products by what others have picked. For the higher end devices, that's not how it works. I guess this is why we never hear of things like the Ford Mustang being a Porch 959 killer. It is childish to continue with this kind of thinking. Talk about features and quality but stop already with the win or give up mentality.
Agreed, perfectly.
never mind!
i didn't crap iphone. Iphone looks nice and pretty. kluge OS? are there any issues with my phone? nope! your nick is all over Cnet biasing anything that have Microsoft word on them and praise everything that have Apple logo.
Pull yourself back in reality and set your mind freely!
peace!
Being constantly let done by MS was my reality check.
Happy?
Heard of igo? Navigon? iguidance?TouchTwit ? ability to flash your ROMs and play with system files at will? I guess not!
just use what you like and stop bias other phones.
And yet you crap on the iphone in your first sentence, as well as compare it to a winmo device?!
LOL windows mobile, talk about a kluge OS.
Sorry you`re stupid, really I am, BTW posting = typing, (we`re not actually speaking here!)
If you`re having problems, a dictionary may help, you do know what a dictionary is don`t you?
Any ways, like many other markets, Apple has put a spark under those "other" hand set makers butt to get into gear and try and match the iPhone, so far it's been pretty boring stuff when compared to the iPhone.
And frankly, there will never be a phone to top it. You ask huh? What? One word iTunes. The iPhone is an iPod with a phone, done deal. End of story.
the next iphone
http://www.precentral.net/palm-us-market-share-decline-ends-smartphone-market-grows
Now I know this is based on a survey, but remember that this is from a Pro Pre site.
the next iphone"
For now.. if someone comes up with better, cool. Funny thing is, that has yet to happen, in spite of quite a few forumites' greatest hopes.
Please, will someone please re-invent the wheel here. I love my 3GS, and have no plans of plans of jumping ship, but that's only because I've not seen any mind-blowing innovation, from anyone. I really hope Android gets its **** together and slaps me in the face someday, because that would lead to a more competitive market, and more interesting offerings overall...but unfortunately, I think the flood gates (right now) are swung open a little wider than they should be.
just a silly question. ok? please don't jump on me.
Your mileage may vary
...maybe it'll have a photo recognition algorithm to detect an adam's apple?
iPhone introduced multi-touch screen. And now only Palm has caught up with the same multi-touch screen technology for the Palm Pre. The iPhone and Palm Pre are very similar in the web browser webkit they both use which supports multi-touch pinch zoom.
The only difference are the same things said by the Droid ad commercial. iPhone doesn't have a real keyboard, doesn't have multitasking, doesn't have interchangeable batteries, doesn't have camera flash, won't support Adobe Flash but the Palm Pre does.
iPhone is beginning to lose it's position from heavy competition. Only a measly 5,000 units of iPhones were sold from their recent launch in China. Meanwhile, AT&T admits that it is losing a considerable number of subscribers (probably iPhone owners) to Verizon's better 3G network coverage.
Apple's stock price has plunged more than 15 points for the past week!
Let the customers speak for themselves. Apple did a helluva job producing one of the world's most fantastic phones, and it's high usage-base would readily agree.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=26417
That means last quarter 800,000 people left their current provider to join AT&T specifically for the iPhone. That percentage of "switchers" has consistently been between 30 and 40 percent for the past year. Coincidentally, "Sprint lost a total of 801,000 subscribers in the quarter."
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-10385974-266.html
Hmmm... They all probably left Sprint for the iPhone.
- by ZAKeller November 4, 2009 12:05 PM PST
- What's a brotha' gotta do to get a pie chart up in tha hizzy??!
- Like this Reply to this comment
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