68 Percent Of American Adults Currently Own A Smart Phone While Gaming Devices, Ereaders Decline

A new survey suggests that while percentage of US adults owing a smartphone or tablet has continued to rise in the last few years, adoption of some devices has slowed down or even dropped.

According to the latest Pew Research survey, 68 percent of adult Americans currently own a smartphone, up from 35 percent in 2011. Around 92 percent of US adults said they owned some type of cell or mobile phone, reported the Digital Trends.

The survey found that 87 percent of those earning $75,000 or higher own a smartphone, while only 52 percent of adults with household incomes of less than $30,000 per year currently have a smartphone. While 86 percent of American adults aged 18 to 29 have a smartphone, only 30 percent of those 65 or older own a smartphone.

Interestingly, adoption of e-readers, desktops and gaming consoles remained either flat or falling. While tablet ownership increased sharply since 2010, it remained almost flat from 2014 to 2015, 42 percent and 45 percent, respectively.

The Pew survey found that 73 percent of American adults currently own a desktop or laptop computer, compared to 71 percent in 2004. As far as other devices are concerned, game console ownership dropped from 62 percent in 2010 to 56 percent in 2015, and e-reader ownership fell from 32 percent in 2014 to 19 percent this year.

"We don't ask people why they do not use a particular device, but these data suggest how the rise of smartphones has been a major story in the universe of connected gadgetry," said Lee Rainie, who leads Pew's Internet and technology research, reported the PCWorld.

"These changes in device ownership are all taking place in a world where smartphones are transforming into all-purpose devices that perform many of the same functions of specialized technology, such as music players, e-book readers or even gaming devices."

Pew's survey was based on two surveys- one conducted among 1,907 adults from March 17 through April 12 and a second survey among 2,001 adults conducted from June 10 through July 12.