• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, July 11, 2012

According to Pew Research, 17% of cell phone owners do most of their online browsing on their phone, rather than a computer or other device. Most do so for convenience, but for some their phone is their only option for online access. 88% of U.S. adults own a cell phone of some kind as of April 2012, and 55% of these cell owners use their phone to go online. These individuals are referred to as “cell internet users” throughout the report, representing a notable increase from the 31% of cell owners who said that they used their phone to go online as recently as April 2009.

Young adults and non-whites are especially likely to use their cell phones for the majority of their online activity:

• 45% of all 18-29 year olds (who use the internet on their cell phones) do most of their online browsing on their mobile device
• 51% of African American cell internet users do most of their online browsing on their phone, double the proportion for whites. 42% of Latino cell internet users also fall into the “cell-mostly” category

The main reason why they conduct most of their online browsing on a mobile phone, these cell-mostly users point to three major factors:

• Cell phones are convenient, always available... 64% of cell-mostly internet users say factors related to convenience or the always-available nature of mobile phones when asked for the main reason
• Cell phones better fit people’s usage habits... 18% of cell-mostly internet users say that their online habits make their cell phone a simpler, more effective choice for going online
• Cell phones fill access gaps... 10% of cell-mostly internet users point towards a lack of other access options as the main reason why they primarily use their phone to go online

55% of adult cell owners now go online using their phones as of April 2012. Because 88% of U.S. adults now own a cell phone, that works out to 49% of all U.S. adults who go online using a cell phone at least occasionally. And, on a typical day, 41% of all cell owners are using their phones to go online.

Just over half of American cell owners (53%, representing 46% of all U.S. adults) now own a smartphone of some kind, and 90% of these smartphone owners say that they use their phone to go online.

Cell phone internet usage is generally highest among groups with relatively high levels of smartphone ownership, and every major demographic group is more likely to engage in this activity in 2012 than was the case in 2009. The fastest-growing group over that time period is 25-34 year olds; 80% of cell owners in this age group now use their phones to go online, a 37-point increase from the 43% of such cell owners who did so in 2009.

Other age groups with high levels of cell phone internet usage include young adults ages 18-24 and those ages 35-44. On the other hand, seniors (defined as those 65 years of age or older) have joined the cell internet user ranks in modest numbers. Although seven in ten seniors now own a cell phone, just 16% of them use their phones to go online, the lowest usage rate of any major demographic group.

In addition to age, other key demographic differences in cell phone internet use include:

• Race/Ethnicity: Roughly two-thirds of black and Latino cell owners go online using their mobile phones, compared with half of whites
• Geographic location: Even though the proportion of rural cell owners who go online using their phones has more than doubled since April 2009, urban and suburban cell owners remain significantly more likely than their rural counterparts to go online using their phones
• Household income and Educational attainment: Along with having high overall levels of smartphone ownership, the relatively well-off and well-educated are more likely than cell owners with lower levels of income and education to use their phones to go online.

For the first time ever in the May survey, Pew asked these cell-mostly internet users (the 31% of cell phone internet users who go online mostly using their phones) to tell us the main reason why they use their phone for the majority of their online browsing:

Findings from a national telephone survey conducted March 15-April 3, 2012. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. The margin of error for all cell phone owners is ± 2.6 percentage points, and the margin of error for cell phone owners who go online using their phones is ± 3.7 percentage points.

For access to the complete report from PewResearch, please go here.