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Smartphones have shifted from “nice-to-have” gadgets into the default way billions of people communicate, navigate, bank, shop, work, and consume media. But the most useful smartphone stats aren’t one-off trivia—they’re the repeatable benchmarks that explain how big the market is, how quickly it’s growing, who owns smartphones, and what people do once they’re on a device.
This updated guide focuses on the most reliable, regularly updated sources (Pew Research Center, IDC, StatCounter, DataReportal/GSMA Intelligence, and Sensor Tower). A small number of older figures are included only for historical context and clearly labeled by year.
Smartphone Stats at a Glance (Latest Available)
- 91% of U.S. adults own a smartphone (Pew, updated Nov 2025)
- 78% of U.S. adults ages 65+ own a smartphone (Pew, survey Feb–Jun 2025)
- 5.78B unique mobile users worldwide (Oct 2025)
- 1.24B smartphones shipped globally (2024, IDC)
- 1.25B smartphones expected to ship globally (2025, IDC forecast)
- Android 70.36% vs iOS 29.25% global mobile OS share (Jan 2026)
- $150B global consumer spend in apps (2024) and 4.2T hours spent in apps (Sensor Tower)
Key Metrics Table
| Metric | Value | Year / Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. adults who own a smartphone | 91% | Updated Nov 2025 | Pew Research Center |
| U.S. adults 65+ who own a smartphone | 78% | Survey Feb–Jun 2025 | Pew Research Center |
| Unique mobile users worldwide | 5.78B | Oct 2025 | DataReportal (GSMA Intelligence) |
| Global smartphone shipments | 1.24B | 2024 | IDC (via release excerpt) |
| Global smartphone shipments (forecast) | 1.25B | 2025 forecast | Reuters (citing IDC) |
| Mobile OS share (global) | Android 70.36% / iOS 29.25% | Jan 2026 | StatCounter |
| Global consumer spend in apps | $150B | 2024 | Sensor Tower |
| Total time spent in apps | 4.2T hours | 2024 | Sensor Tower |
Smartphone Ownership in the U.S.
Smartphone ownership is now nearly universal among younger Americans and continues to rise for older age groups. Pew’s mobile fact sheet reports that 91% of U.S. adults own a smartphone. Pew’s January 2026 analysis (based on a 2025 survey) shows ownership at 97% for adults under 50, 90% for ages 50–64, and 78% for ages 65+.
That doesn’t mean access is equal. Pew also tracks “smartphone-only” internet users—people who rely on a smartphone without home broadband—highlighting how mobile fills gaps where wired internet isn’t available or affordable.
Global Market Size: Smartphone Shipments
Shipments are one of the clearest indicators of global smartphone market health. IDC reported a recovery in 2024, with 1.24 billion smartphones shipped worldwide. For 2025, IDC expects shipments to grow modestly to 1.25 billion units, while also signaling that rising memory costs could weigh on 2026 volumes.
- 2024: 1.24B global smartphone shipments (IDC)
- 2025 (forecast): 1.25B global smartphone shipments (IDC, cited by Reuters)
Operating Systems: Android vs iOS (Global Share)
Globally, Android remains the dominant smartphone operating system. StatCounter’s global mobile OS data for January 2026 shows:
- Android: 70.36%
- iOS: 29.25%
These shares can vary significantly by country and income tier, but the global split provides a useful top-level benchmark.
The Smartphone “App Economy”
Smartphones are valuable because of what people do on them—and that’s increasingly app-driven. Sensor Tower’s State of Mobile reporting highlights two major scale indicators for 2024:
- $150 billion in global consumer spending on apps (in-app purchases and subscriptions)
- 4.2 trillion hours spent in apps
These numbers are useful for understanding how smartphones monetize and how much attention mobile experiences command.
Historical Stats
- 2019: 81% of U.S. adults owned a smartphone (historical benchmark; Pew’s older tracking)
- 2015: 68% of U.S. adults owned a smartphone (historical benchmark; Pew’s earlier tracking)
- 2022: 5.32B mobile phone users (historical estimate from older digital reports)
FAQ
What percentage of Americans own a smartphone?
Pew Research Center reports that 91% of U.S. adults own a smartphone (Mobile Fact Sheet, updated November 2025).
How many smartphones ship worldwide each year?
IDC reported 1.24 billion smartphones shipped globally in 2024, and expects 1.25 billion shipments in 2025 (forecast cited by Reuters).
How many people use mobile phones worldwide?
DataReportal (drawing on GSMA Intelligence) reports 5.78 billion “unique” mobile users worldwide as of October 2025. “Unique users” is not the same as “connections,” because many people have more than one SIM/eSIM or device.
What is the global market share of Android vs iOS?
StatCounter’s global mobile OS data for January 2026 shows Android at 70.36% and iOS at 29.25%.
How big is the app economy on smartphones?
Sensor Tower reports $150B in global consumer spend on apps in 2024 and 4.2T hours spent in apps.
Sources
- Pew Research Center – Mobile Fact Sheet
- Pew Research Center – Smartphone ownership & digital divides (Jan 2026)
- DataReportal – Digital 2026 Global Overview (GSMA Intelligence data)
- IDC – Worldwide smartphone shipments (2024)
- Reuters – IDC forecast for 2025 shipments
- StatCounter – Mobile OS market share worldwide
- Sensor Tower – 2024 app spend benchmark (State of Mobile 2025)
- Sensor Tower – State of Mobile 2025 landing page (time spent)
