The Pew Research Center does surveys within the US that contribute valuable information to US policy processes. In this news release, they also present worldwide data.
Smartphone adoption, however, shows a different picture. More than half of Americans (55%) have a smartphone, 34% have a feature phone, and 9% have no phone. Elsewhere in the world, a smartphone is less common. However, significant minorities in countries such as Lebanon (45%) and China (37%) own a smartphone and the future looks bright for the technology. In every country polled, there is a significant age gap on smartphone ownership, with people under 30 more likely to own the devices. For instance, 69% of 18- 29 year-olds in China have a smartphone, making it the predominant technological choice for future generations.
Telecom operators know how many smartphones are in use on their networks. If the data was obtained from operators, they would be reliable. On the other hand, if the data were obtained from demand-side surveys, as is suggested by the language, it would be useful to have more information on method. I am getting someone to look over the full report to see if we can make a judgment on the method.
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