‘ Smartphones lifeline for many in US’

Americans love their smartphones and rely on them as a key way to go online, but many find the cost too steep, a survey showed on Wednesday.

The Pew Research Centre found some 64 per cent of American adults owned a smartphone as of the survey last year, almost double the percentage of 2011.

And 15 per cent of those surveyed said they had a smartphone and “limited” access to the Internet from other sources. Ten per cent in the survey said they had no broadband Internet at home.

In sum, the figures mean around one out of 14 Americans is “smartphone dependent,” with no high- speed Internet at home and little access elsewhere, Pew said.

A large number of these “smartphone- dependent” users are young adults: some 15 per cent of those in the 18- 29 age group fit that description, the survey found. Those with lower incomes and lower educational attainment were also more likely to depend on their handsets.

“Compared with smartphone owners who are less reliant on their mobile devices, these smartphonedependent users are less likely to own some other type of computing device, less likely to have a bank account, less likely to be covered by health insurance and more likely to rent or to live with a friend or family member rather than own their own home,” the Pew report said.

But because these people have lower incomes, many have had trouble paying their smartphone bills, according to Pew.

Around 23 per cent of smartphone owners said they had to cancel or suspend their service for finan- cial reasons, and 15 per cent said they often reach the maximum amount of data allowed on their plan.

“The connections to online resources that smartphones facilitate are often most tenuous for those users who rely on those connections the most,” said Aaron Smith, a Pew researcher.

“A substantial minority of Americans indicate that their phone plays a central role in their ability to access digital services and online content, but for many users, this access may not be available when they need it due to financial stresses or technical constraints.” Although 93 per cent said their smartphone is useful, less than half claimed they “could live without” it.