Smartphone Usage Statistics 2026
This page collects 53 figures on how people own and use smartphones: who has one in the U.S. and worldwide, how much time people spend on their phones, app downloads and spending, mobile data use, shopping and paying by phone, and how often people buy and replace devices. Most figures describe 2025 and 2026; the CDC teen screen time data covers 2021 to 2023. Geography is mainly the U.S., with UK, EU and global figures where they exist. Sources include Pew Research Center, the ITU, the GSMA, Eurostat, Sensor Tower, the CDC, Common Sense Media, Ericsson, Adobe, the Federal Reserve, the Kansas City Fed, UK Finance, IDC, YouGov and Allstate Protection Plans.
By the Comredix review desk · Updated November 13, 2026 · 53 numbers drawn from 19 publishers and reports
58 of 58 quotes matched to the publisher's page by our checker on November 13, 2026
Short answer
91% of U.S. adults own a smartphone in 2026 (Pew Research Center), and 82% of people aged 10 and over worldwide own a mobile phone (ITU, 2025). The average mobile user spends about 3.6 hours a day in apps (Sensor Tower, 2025), phones handled 56.4% of U.S. holiday 2025 online transactions (Adobe), and IDC expects 2026 shipments to fall 16.7% as people keep phones longer and prices rise.
Headline numbers
- 91%91% of U.S. adults owned a smartphone in 2026, up from 35% when Pew Research Center first asked in 2011.Pew Research Center
- 82%82% of people aged 10 and over worldwide owned a mobile phone in 2025, according to the ITU.International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
- 4.4 billion4.4 billion people, 54% of the global population, used their own smartphone to access mobile internet at the end of 2024, according to the GSMA.GSMA
- 3.6 hoursMobile users worldwide spent roughly 3.6 hours a day in iOS and Google Play apps in 2025, 5.3 trillion hours in total, according to Sensor Tower.Sensor Tower
- One in fourAbout one in four U.S. adults said they use their smartphone almost constantly in 2026, according to Pew Research Center.Pew Research Center
- 56.4%56.4% of U.S. online transactions in the 2025 holiday season happened on a mobile device, up from 54.5% in 2024, per Adobe.Adobe
- 23%Mobile phones were used for 23% of all U.S. consumer payments in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve's Diary of Consumer Payment Choice.Federal Reserve
- 16.7%IDC forecasts worldwide smartphone shipments will fall 16.7% in 2026 to just over 1 billion units, driven by a memory chip shortage.IDC
Reading the numbers
Smartphone ownership has close to topped out in wealthy countries. Pew counts 91% of U.S. adults with a smartphone in 2026, against 35% in 2011, and the gap that remains is mostly among adults 65 and over (79%) and lower-income households. For 16% of U.S. adults the phone is also the only home internet connection. Globally the picture is less even: the ITU puts mobile phone ownership at 82% of people aged 10 and over but only 53% in low-income economies, and the GSMA finds 4.4 billion people, 54% of the world, using their own smartphone to go online.
Time on phones is high and many people feel it. Sensor Tower's app data works out to about 3.6 hours a day per mobile user in 2025. In Pew's 2026 survey, about one in four adults use their phone almost constantly, rising to 42% of adults under 30, just over half say they spend too much time on it, and 62% of under 30s say it hurts their sleep. Among teens, the CDC finds half report four or more hours of daily screen time on all devices.
Phones now carry a large part of everyday spending. Adobe recorded $145.2 billion of U.S. mobile holiday spending in 2025, 56.4% of online transactions, and 82.2% of buy now, pay later revenue. The Federal Reserve counts phones in 23% of U.S. consumer payments and 45% of remote payments, while the Kansas City Fed reports the share of consumers paying by phone in stores more than doubled from 2021 to 2025. In the UK, 65% of adults are registered for a mobile wallet, per UK Finance.
The device market itself is changing. IDC forecasts a record 16.7% drop in 2026 shipments as a memory chip shortage raises costs, while total market value still grows to $613 billion. Survey data from Allstate Protection Plans and YouGov show owners holding phones for two years or longer and weighing battery life and price over new features such as AI.
Who owns a smartphone
- 1.
91% of U.S. adults owned a smartphone in 2026, up from 35% when Pew Research Center first asked in 2011.
Pew Research Center, Americans' Use of Mobile Devices in 2026 (2026)
Exact wording at the source
About nine-in-ten (91%) own a smartphone, up from just 35% in the Center’s first survey of smartphone ownership conducted in 2011.
- 2.
98% of U.S. adults owned a cellphone of some kind in 2026, according to Pew Research Center.
Pew Research Center, Americans' Use of Mobile Devices in 2026 (2026)
Exact wording at the source
The vast majority of U.S. adults (98%) own a cellphone of some kind.
- 3.
16% of U.S. adults were smartphone-only internet users in 2026: they own a smartphone but have no home broadband subscription.
Pew Research Center, Americans' Use of Mobile Devices in 2026 (2026)
Exact wording at the source
Today, 16% of U.S. adults are “smartphone-only” internet users, meaning they own a smartphone but do not subscribe to a home broadband service.
- 4.
82% of people aged 10 and over worldwide owned a mobile phone in 2025, according to the ITU.
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Facts and Figures 2025: Mobile phone ownership (Oct 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Globally, 82 per cent of individuals 10 years or older own a mobile phone.
- 5.
Only 53% of people aged 10 and over in low-income economies owned a mobile phone in 2025, against more than 95% in high-income economies.
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Facts and Figures 2025: Mobile phone ownership (Oct 2025)
Exact wording at the source
This stands in contrast with low-income economies, where only 53 per cent of the population aged 10 years and over own a mobile phone.
- 6.
Worldwide, 78% of women and 87% of men aged 10 and over owned a mobile phone in 2025, per the ITU.
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Facts and Figures 2025: Mobile phone ownership (Oct 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Globally, 78 per cent of females and 87 per cent of males aged 10 and over own a mobile phone, translating into a gender parity score of 0.90 (i.e. skewed against women), which is slightly lower than the corresponding 0.92 score for Internet use.
- 7.
4.4 billion people, 54% of the global population, used their own smartphone to access mobile internet at the end of 2024, according to the GSMA.
GSMA, The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2025: Overview Report (Sep 2025)
Exact wording at the source
At the end of 2024, 4.4 billion people were using their own smartphone to access mobile internet, equivalent to 54% of the global population.
- 8.
About 250 million people started using a smartphone to access mobile internet during 2024, the GSMA estimates.
GSMA, The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2025: Overview Report (Sep 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Around 250 million people started using a smartphone to access mobile internet in 2024.
- 9.
16% of mobile internet subscribers worldwide still went online with a 3G smartphone or a feature phone in 2024, per the GSMA.
GSMA, The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2025: Overview Report (Sep 2025)
Exact wording at the source
However, globally, 16% of mobile internet subscribers are still using 3G smartphones or a feature phone to access the internet.
- 10.
Almost 9 in 10 people in the EU used a mobile device to connect to the internet in 2025, according to Eurostat.
Eurostat, Digital economy and society statistics: households and individuals (Dec 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Mobile devices were used to connect to the internet by almost 9 out of 10 individuals in the EU in 2025.
Chart
U.S. adults who own a smartphone, by age, 2026
Share of U.S. adults who own a smartphone, Pew Research Center survey conducted January 30 to June 18, 2026.
- 18 to 2997%
- 30 to 4997%
- 50 to 6491%
- 65+79%
Source: Pew Research Center, Americans' Use of Mobile Devices in 2026
Screen time and how often people reach for their phones
- 11.
Mobile users worldwide spent roughly 3.6 hours a day in iOS and Google Play apps in 2025, 5.3 trillion hours in total, according to Sensor Tower.
Sensor Tower, 2026 State of Mobile: AI Moves Mobile into Its Next Phase (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Consumers spent 5.3 trillion hours across iOS and Google Play apps (+3.8% YoY), or roughly 3.6 hours per day per mobile user.
- 12.
About one in four U.S. adults said they use their smartphone almost constantly in 2026, according to Pew Research Center.
Pew Research Center, About half of Americans say they spend too much time on their phone. Some are trying to cut back (Sep 2026)
Exact wording at the source
In fact, about one-in-four adults say they’re on their smartphones “almost constantly.” Another 60% say they use their smartphone several times a day.
- 13.
42% of U.S. adults under 30 described their smartphone use as almost constant in 2026, the highest of any age group.
Pew Research Center, About half of Americans say they spend too much time on their phone. Some are trying to cut back (Sep 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Adults under 30 are the most likely age group to describe their smartphone use as almost constant, with 42% saying this.
- 14.
Just over half of U.S. adults said in 2026 that they spend too much time on their smartphone, per Pew Research Center.
Pew Research Center, About half of Americans say they spend too much time on their phone. Some are trying to cut back (Sep 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Just over half of U.S. adults say they spend too much time on their smartphone, according to a Pew Research Center survey from May and June 2026.
- 15.
45% of U.S. adults said they had tried to cut back on their smartphone use in the past 12 months (2026 survey).
Pew Research Center, About half of Americans say they spend too much time on their phone. Some are trying to cut back (Sep 2026)
Exact wording at the source
In our survey, 45% of U.S. adults say they’ve tried to cut back on their smartphone use over the past 12 months.
- 16.
62% of U.S. adults under 30 said their smartphone use hurts how much sleep they get, the only age group where a majority said so (2026).
Pew Research Center, About half of Americans say they spend too much time on their phone. Some are trying to cut back (Sep 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Adults under 30 are the only age group in which a majority (62%) say smartphones hurt their sleep.
- 17.
97% of U.S. teens aged 13 to 17 used the internet daily in Pew's 2025 survey, including four in ten who were online almost constantly.
Pew Research Center, Teens, Social Media and AI Chatbots 2025 (Dec 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Nearly all U.S. teens (97%) say they use the internet daily, including four-in-ten who say they are almost constantly online.
- 18.
50.4% of U.S. teenagers aged 12 to 17 reported 4 hours or more of daily screen time from July 2021 to December 2023, according to the CDC's National Health Interview Survey.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Daily Screen Time Among Teenagers: United States, July 2021 to December 2023 (NCHS Data Brief No. 513) (Oct 2024)
Exact wording at the source
Summary During July 2021 through December 2023, 50.4% of teenagers self-reported 4 hours or more of daily screen time.
- 19.
U.S. teens aged 15 to 17 were more likely than those aged 12 to 14 to report 4 or more hours of daily screen time, 55.0% against 45.6% (2021 to 2023).
CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Daily Screen Time Among Teenagers: United States, July 2021 to December 2023 (NCHS Data Brief No. 513) (Oct 2024)
Exact wording at the source
Teenagers ages 15–17 (55.0%) were more likely than those ages 12–14 (45.6%) to have4 hours or more of daily screen time ( Figure 2 , Table 2 ).
- 20.
51% of U.S. children aged 8 and younger had their own mobile device, a tablet or cellphone, in Common Sense Media's 2025 census.
Common Sense Media, Digital Childhood Starts at Age Two: Landmark Study Shows Evolution of Young Children's Media Use (Feb 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Overall, 51% of children age 8 and younger have their own mobile device (tablet or cellphone).
Chart
Daily screen time reported by U.S. teens aged 12 to 17, 2021 to 2023
Self-reported daily screen time on all devices, National Health Interview Survey, July 2021 to December 2023.
- 4 hours or more50.4%
- 3 hours22.8%
- 2 hours17.8%
- 1 hour6.1%
- Less than 1 hour3%
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Daily Screen Time Among Teenagers: United States, July 2021 to December 2023 (NCHS Data Brief No. 513)
Apps, downloads and mobile data
- 21.
App downloads across iOS and Google Play reached nearly 150 billion in 2025, up 0.8% from 2024, according to Sensor Tower.
Sensor Tower, 2026 State of Mobile: AI Moves Mobile into Its Next Phase (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Total downloads across iOS and Google Play edged up 0.8% YoY to nearly 150 billion, surpassing the previous high from 2023.
- 22.
Consumers spent $167 billion on in-app purchases and paid apps and games across iOS and Google Play in 2025, up 10.6%, per Sensor Tower.
Sensor Tower, 2026 State of Mobile: AI Moves Mobile into Its Next Phase (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Revenue from in-app purchases and paid apps and games reached $167 billion in 2025 across iOS and Google Play – a staggering 10.6% YoY increase.
- 23.
Consumers in the United States spent nearly $60 billion in apps in 2025, the largest mobile market by revenue, according to Sensor Tower.
Sensor Tower, 2026 State of Mobile: AI Moves Mobile into Its Next Phase (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
The United States remained the largest mobile market by revenue, with consumers spending nearly $60 billion in 2025.
- 24.
Non-game in-app purchase revenue grew 21% in 2025, while games grew 1.3%, per Sensor Tower.
Sensor Tower, 2026 State of Mobile: AI Moves Mobile into Its Next Phase (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Non-game IAP revenue climbed 21% YoY and reached nearly three times the amount spent just five years earlier.
- 25.
Generative AI apps were downloaded 3.8 billion times in 2025, double the 2024 total, according to Sensor Tower.
Sensor Tower, 2026 State of Mobile: AI Moves Mobile into Its Next Phase (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Downloads doubled YoY to reach 3.8 billion, while IAP revenue nearly tripled to exceed $5 billion.
- 26.
People spent 48 billion hours in generative AI apps in 2025, roughly 3.6 times the 2024 total, per Sensor Tower.
Sensor Tower, 2026 State of Mobile: AI Moves Mobile into Its Next Phase (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Time spent in Generative AI apps reached 48 billion hours in 2025, roughly 3.6x the total in 2024 and nearly 10x the level seen in 2023.
- 27.
The average active smartphone worldwide used 22 GB of mobile data a month at the end of 2025, according to Ericsson.
Ericsson, Ericsson Mobility Report: Mobile data traffic outlook (2026)
Exact wording at the source
22GB Average mobile data traffic per active smartphone reached 22 GB per month globally at the end of 2025.
- 28.
Global mobile data traffic ended 2025 at 146 exabytes per month, and Ericsson forecasts 328 EB per month by 2031.
Ericsson, Ericsson Mobility Report: Mobile data traffic outlook (2026)
Exact wording at the source
Both global mobile data traffic and total mobile network data traffic, which includes FWA, grew slightly above expectations during 2025, ending the year at 146 EB per month and 203 EB per month respectively.
- 29.
About 660 million 5G subscriptions were added worldwide in 2025, bringing 5G to one third of all mobile subscriptions, per Ericsson.
Ericsson, Ericsson Mobility Report: Mobile subscriptions outlook (2026)
Exact wording at the source
During 2025, around 660 million 5G subscriptions were added globally, with the total accounting for one-third of all mobile subscriptions at the end of the year.
- 30.
North America had the highest 5G subscription penetration at the end of 2025, at 79%, according to Ericsson.
Ericsson, Ericsson Mobility Report: Mobile subscriptions outlook (2026)
Exact wording at the source
The highest penetration was in North America with 79 percent, followed by North East Asia at 60 percent, Western Europe at 54 percent and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries at 53 percent.
Chart
Monthly mobile data per active smartphone, 2025 and 2031 forecast
Average monthly mobile data per active smartphone in GB, Ericsson Mobility Report; 2031 values are forecasts.
- World 202522 GB
- World 203142 GB
- India region 202537 GB
- India region 203170 GB
Source: Ericsson, Ericsson Mobility Report: Mobile data traffic outlook
Shopping on phones
- 31.
U.S. shoppers spent $145.2 billion online through mobile devices in the 2025 holiday season, up 10.7% from $131.5 billion in 2024, according to Adobe.
Adobe, 2025 Holiday Shopping Recap (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Mobile spend hit $145.2 billion this holiday season, up 10.7% from last year’s $131.5 billion.
- 32.
56.4% of U.S. online transactions in the 2025 holiday season happened on a mobile device, up from 54.5% in 2024, per Adobe.
Adobe, 2025 Holiday Shopping Recap (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Mobile shopping hit a new milestone with the majority of online transactions (56.4%) taking place on a mobile device this season.
- 33.
Mobile spending on Cyber Monday 2025 reached $8.2 billion, 57.5% of all U.S. online spending that day, according to Adobe.
Adobe, 2025 Holiday Shopping Recap (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Mobile shopping has cemented itself as the preferred transaction channel on Cyber Monday, reaching $8.2B in spend, up 8% YoY and capturing 57.5% of all online spending.
- 34.
U.S. shoppers spent a record $3.9 billion on phones on Thanksgiving Day 2025, 61.6% of that day's online sales, per Adobe.
Adobe, 2025 Holiday Shopping Recap (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Record Thanksgiving day mobile shopping reached $3.9B, up 9.4% YoY as it captured 61.6% of total online sales.
- 35.
82.2% of U.S. buy now, pay later revenue in the 2025 holiday season came through a mobile device, up from 79.1% in 2024, per Adobe.
Adobe, 2025 Holiday Shopping Recap (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
The majority of BNPL revenue (82.2%) came through a mobile device this holiday season.
- 36.
38.8% of U.S. online returns in the 2025 holiday season were made on a mobile device, well below mobile's share of spending, according to Adobe.
Adobe, 2025 Holiday Shopping Recap (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
During this season, 38.8% of returns happened on a mobile device (vs.
Paying with a phone
- 37.
Mobile phones were used for 23% of all U.S. consumer payments in 2024, according to the Federal Reserve's Diary of Consumer Payment Choice.
Federal Reserve, 2025 Findings from the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice (May 2025)
Exact wording at the source
In 2024 , mobile phones were used for 23% of all payments, 11% of all in-person non-bill payments, and 45% of remote payments.
- 38.
U.S. adults aged 18 to 24 used their phones for 45% of all their payments in 2024, more than any other age group, per the Federal Reserve.
Federal Reserve, 2025 Findings from the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice (May 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Adults aged 18 to 24 were more likely than any other cohort to pay with a mobile phone, using their phones for 45% of all payments.
- 39.
U.S. consumers made an average of 11 payments with a mobile phone in 2024, up from 10 in 2023, in the Federal Reserve's payment diary.
Federal Reserve, 2025 Findings from the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice (May 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Consumers made an average of 11 payments with a mobile phone in 2024, up from 10 payments in 2023.
- 40.
The share of U.S. consumers who made mobile payments at the point of sale rose from 8.9% in 2021 to 21.3% in 2025, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Are U.S. Consumers Ready to Use Pay-by-Bank at the Point of Sale? (2026)
Exact wording at the source
consumers that made mobile payments at the POS more than doubled (from 8.9 percent to 21.3 percent) and the share of POS transactions that consumers made using a mobile device nearly tripled (from 5.6 percent to 15 percent).
- 41.
The share of U.S. consumers who had adopted mobile banking or payment apps grew from 78.3% in 2021 to 85.8% in 2025, per the Kansas City Fed.
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Are U.S. Consumers Ready to Use Pay-by-Bank at the Point of Sale? (2026)
Exact wording at the source
consumers that has adopted mobile banking or payment apps (blue line) has been growing: From 2021 to 2025, this share increased from 78.3 percent to 85.8 percent.
- 42.
Only 9.6% of U.S. baby boomers and older consumers made mobile payments at the point of sale in 2025, according to the Kansas City Fed.
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Are U.S. Consumers Ready to Use Pay-by-Bank at the Point of Sale? (2026)
Exact wording at the source
Consumers from the boomer or Silent Generation may especially lack the knowledge to make Pay-by-Bank payments at the POS: In 2025, only 9.6 percent of these consumers made mobile payments at the POS, and mobile payments constituted only 5.7 percent of their POS payments.
- 43.
65% of UK adults were registered for at least one mobile payment service in 2025, up from 57% in 2024, according to UK Finance.
UK Finance, Digital payments continue to grow as mobile wallets become more popular across the UK (2026)
Exact wording at the source
65 per cent of UK adults were registered for at least one mobile payment service in 2025, up from 57 per cent in 2024.
- 44.
89% of UK adults aged 25 to 34 were registered for mobile wallets in 2025, compared with 29% of those over 65, per UK Finance.
UK Finance, Digital payments continue to grow as mobile wallets become more popular across the UK (2026)
Exact wording at the source
Mobile wallet adoption varies by age however: 89 per cent of 25–34-year-olds are registered, compared with 29 per cent of over 65s.
- 45.
75% of UK adults used mobile banking in 2025, the most popular form of remote banking, according to UK Finance.
UK Finance, Digital payments continue to grow as mobile wallets become more popular across the UK (2026)
Exact wording at the source
Mobile banking remains the preferred option, used by 75 per cent of adults.
Chart
Share of U.S. consumer payments made with a mobile phone, 2024
Share of payments where the consumer used a mobile phone, Federal Reserve Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, 2024.
- Remote payments45%
- All payments23%
- In-person purchases11%
Source: Federal Reserve, 2025 Findings from the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice
Buying and upgrading phones
- 46.
Global smartphone shipments fell 7.4% year on year to 276.3 million units in the second quarter of 2026, according to IDC.
IDC, Smartphone Market Share (Sep 2026)
Exact wording at the source
BOSTON, August 28, 2026 – The global smartphone market shrank 7.4 % year-on-year to 276.3 million units in the second quarter of 2026 (2Q26), according to the final historical data from the International Data Corporation ( IDC ) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, The memory crisis continues to disrupt the smartphone market with unprecedented costs and strained supply, with Q2 2026 marking the second quarter of consecutive year-on-year decline.
- 47.
IDC forecasts worldwide smartphone shipments will fall 16.7% in 2026 to just over 1 billion units, driven by a memory chip shortage.
IDC, Smartphone Market Share (Sep 2026)
Exact wording at the source
According to IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, worldwide smartphone shipments will fall 16.7% in 2026 to just over 1 billion units.
- 48.
IDC expects the total smartphone market value to grow 6.3% to $613 billion in 2026 even as unit shipments fall, because prices are rising.
IDC, Smartphone Market Share (Sep 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Total market value will still grow 6.3% to $613 billion, because higher prices are now doing the heavy lifting that volume once did.
- 49.
IDC forecasts iOS will reach a record 23.6% share of global smartphone shipments in 2026.
IDC, Smartphone Market Share (Sep 2026)
Exact wording at the source
iOS share does the opposite trend, increasing almost four percentage points from last year to record high 23.6% share as shipments remain relatively resilient, down just 1.3% YoY in 2026.
- 50.
Only 17% of Americans said AI features are a big influence on their phone buying decisions, according to an Allstate Protection Plans survey published in January 2026.
Allstate Protection Plans (SquareTrade), The Upgrade Slowdown: Americans Are Making Their Phones Last Longer (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Despite the hype, only 17% of Americans say AI features are a big influence on their buying decisions today.
- 51.
45% of U.S. adults said they were very or somewhat likely to buy a new phone in the coming year in November 2025, up from 36% in 2023, according to YouGov.
YouGov, Americans plan faster smartphone upgrades and fewer expect to buy budget models (Dec 2025)
Exact wording at the source
New data from YouGov Surveys: Serviced suggests that a substantial share of Americans may enter the smartphone market in the coming year, with 45% saying they are very or somewhat likely to purchase a new handset, up from 36% in 2023.
- 52.
25% of likely U.S. phone buyers expected to keep their next phone for only 1 to 2 years in 2025, up from 15% in 2023, per YouGov.
YouGov, Americans plan faster smartphone upgrades and fewer expect to buy budget models (Dec 2025)
Exact wording at the source
The proportion of consumers expecting to keep a smartphone for 1-2 years has increased sharply from 15% in 2023 to 25% in 2025, while expectations for a 2-3-year lifespan have also risen (24% to 29%).
- 53.
26% of British adults expected to keep their next smartphone 3 to 4 years in 2025, up from 22% in 2023, according to YouGov.
YouGov, Brits are stretching smartphone lifespans and stepping up their spending (Dec 2025)
Exact wording at the source
26% of Britons expect to upgrade their smartphone within 3-4 years, up from 22% in 2023.
Chart
How often Americans upgrade their smartphone
Share of U.S. respondents by usual upgrade habit, Allstate Protection Plans mobile survey published January 2026.
- Every two years27%
- Within 12 months22%
- Every 3 to 4 years23%
- Only when it breaks21%
- Within six months3%
Source: Allstate Protection Plans (SquareTrade), The Upgrade Slowdown: Americans Are Making Their Phones Last Longer
Questions readers ask
- What percentage of people own a smartphone?
- In the U.S., 91% of adults owned a smartphone in 2026, according to Pew Research Center, and 98% owned some kind of cellphone. Worldwide, the GSMA counts 4.4 billion people, 54% of the global population, using their own smartphone to access the internet at the end of 2024.
- How many hours a day do people spend on their phones?
- Sensor Tower estimates the average mobile user spent about 3.6 hours a day in apps in 2025, 5.3 trillion hours worldwide. In a 2026 Pew survey, about one in four U.S. adults said they use their smartphone almost constantly, including 42% of adults under 30.
- Do people think they use their phones too much?
- Yes. Just over half of U.S. adults told Pew in 2026 that they spend too much time on their smartphone, and 45% had tried to cut back in the past year. 62% of adults under 30 said their phone use hurts their sleep.
- How common are mobile payments?
- The Federal Reserve found phones were used for 23% of all U.S. consumer payments in 2024 and 45% of remote payments. In the UK, 65% of adults were registered for at least one mobile payment service in 2025, according to UK Finance.
- How often do people replace their smartphones?
- In an Allstate Protection Plans survey published in January 2026, 27% of Americans upgrade every two years, 23% keep phones 3 to 4 years and 21% wait until the phone breaks. IDC forecasts global shipments will fall 16.7% in 2026 as rising memory costs push prices up.
Where these numbers come from
We chose figures that describe smartphones directly: ownership, time spent, app activity, mobile data, shopping and payments on phones, and buying and replacing devices. Each figure links to the publisher that produced it, and every quote was checked against the live page. Sources measure different things: Pew and YouGov run surveys of adults, the ITU and GSMA model national data for people aged 10 and over or the whole population, Sensor Tower and IDC publish modeled market estimates, Adobe measures U.S. retail sites that use its analytics, and the Federal Reserve uses a payment diary. Screen time figures from the CDC and Common Sense Media cover all screens, not only phones. IDC's 2026 shipment numbers are forecasts. We could not include Ofcom figures because its pages blocked automated checking at the time of review. We store the sentence each number appears in, and a script loads the publisher's page again to make sure that sentence is still there. Our methodology has the details.
Sources
- Adobe. 2025 Holiday Shopping Recap (Jan 2026).
- Allstate Protection Plans (SquareTrade). The Upgrade Slowdown: Americans Are Making Their Phones Last Longer (Jan 2026).
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics. Daily Screen Time Among Teenagers: United States, July 2021 to December 2023 (NCHS Data Brief No. 513) (Oct 2024).
- Common Sense Media. Digital Childhood Starts at Age Two: Landmark Study Shows Evolution of Young Children's Media Use (Feb 2025).
- Ericsson. Ericsson Mobility Report: Mobile data traffic outlook (2026).
- Ericsson. Ericsson Mobility Report: Mobile subscriptions outlook (2026).
- Eurostat. Digital economy and society statistics: households and individuals (Dec 2025).
- Federal Reserve. 2025 Findings from the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice (May 2025).
- Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Are U.S. Consumers Ready to Use Pay-by-Bank at the Point of Sale? (2026).
- GSMA. The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2025: Overview Report (Sep 2025).
- IDC. Smartphone Market Share (Sep 2026).
- International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Facts and Figures 2025: Mobile phone ownership (Oct 2025).
- Pew Research Center. Americans' Use of Mobile Devices in 2026 (2026).
- Pew Research Center. About half of Americans say they spend too much time on their phone. Some are trying to cut back (Sep 2026).
- Pew Research Center. Teens, Social Media and AI Chatbots 2025 (Dec 2025).
- Sensor Tower. 2026 State of Mobile: AI Moves Mobile into Its Next Phase (Jan 2026).
- UK Finance. Digital payments continue to grow as mobile wallets become more popular across the UK (2026).
- YouGov. Americans plan faster smartphone upgrades and fewer expect to buy budget models (Dec 2025).
- YouGov. Brits are stretching smartphone lifespans and stepping up their spending (Dec 2025).
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Comredix. (2026, November 13). Smartphone Usage Statistics 2026. https://comredix.com/smartphone-usage-statistics
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