Technology Device Ownership: 2015

Today, 68 percent of US adults have a smartphone, up from 35 percent in 2011, and tablet computer ownership has edged up to 45 percent among adults, according to newly released survey data from the Pew Research Center. Smartphone ownership is nearing the saturation point with some groups: 86 percent of those ages 18-29 have a smartphone, as do 83 percent of those ages 30-49 and 87 percent of those living in households earning $75,000 and up annually. At the same time, the surveys suggest the adoption of some digital devices has slowed and even declined in recent years. Some of the other findings:

• Computers are the next-most popular device among those measured. Some 73 percent of U.S. adults own a desktop or laptop computer, a figure that is similar to the 71 percent of those who owned a computer or laptop in 2004 and down somewhat from a high of 80 percent in 2012.
• Some 40 percent of adults report having a game console, a number that has not budged in five years.
• About a fifth (19 percent) have e-book readers, a drop from 32 percent who said they owned one in early 2014.