Nearly Half of Smartphone Users Can't Imagine Life Without It

Smartphones emerged as a mass-market product less than a decade ago, yet already 46 percent of American smartphone users have what might be called smartphone amnesia, agreeing with the statement "I can't imagine my life without my smartphone." A bare majority of US. adults, 54 percent, disagree. Smartphone attachment is higher among women (51 percent) than men (41 percent), and among younger than older adults. And at each age level, women are more likely than men to say they can't imagine life without their phone. As a result, women under 30 are the most likely of all gender/age groups to feel this way (58 percent), while men 65 and older are the least likely (35 percent).

One thing is certain: People's attachment to their phones is likely to grow in the coming years as smartphone penetration expands toward 100 percent from the current level near 70 percent, and as phones add even more features -- such as universal Wi-Fi and improved voice control, wallet and online shopping capabilities -- that strengthen users' dependence on them.