• by Aaron Baar , December 23, 2011

Boomers … they’re just like Millennials, at least when it comes to smartphones.

According to research commissioned by Consumer Cellular (which is the official cell phone plan provider for the AARP), Boomers use their smartphones in much the same way that younger customers do.

One survey conducted by the company found that 90% of current 40-plus smartphone owners taught themselves the features and functions of the device, and nearly 60% cite email as the most-used app on their phones.

The survey also indicated that Boomers wanted to use their phones to access the Internet as much as younger consumers. A full two-thirds of the respondents said they use the phone’s WiFi features to connect to the Internet.

According to the survey, 64% of male smartphone owners and 48% of female smartphone owners most frequently visited news Web sites (although men were three times more likely to visit sports Web sites, while women tend to visit social media websites).

Meanwhile, a quarter of them have given up their landlines in favor of cell phones. “These surveys show that Boomers are as interested in the latest phones and technologies as younger generations,” said Consumer Cellular CEO John Marick, in a statement.