New data out from Nielson and Forrester Research indicate that smartphone owners will surpass those with feature phones by the end of next year, indicating an interesting shift in what the future mobile user will be doing with their device.
Mobile phone penetration today already surpasses that of computers, and by the end of 2010, more than 240 million U.S. consumers — or almost 78% of the population — will have a mobile phone subscription, according to a new study from Forrester Research entitled “Profiling U.S. Online Mobile Consumers.”
What’s interesting is that while smartphones were once only the “playground of businesspeople on the go,” 22% of the population now have a smartphone, which opens the door to a host of new mobile activities, the study says. Breaking down the demographics, the study notes that mobile phone owners with web access who use the mobile Web at least monthly tend to be “younger, smartphone-owning, wealthy males who are driven by entertainment,” the study says. 69% of these consumers own a smartphone; 26% a BlackBerry and 20% an iPhone. 13% own a Samsung, 11% a Motorola and 11% an LG, the study says.
The goal of the respective studies were to open the eyes of mobile marketers to the increased possibilities of smartphones and the future of mobile media. “If your target market does fall into the group of regular mobile web users,” the study concludes, “you should ensure that your mobile Internet experience is consistent with your regular Internet presence, ensuring a seamless experience for your consumers.”