About six in 10 (59%) US adults 18 and older have a desktop computer, according to data released in September 2011 by Prosper Mobile Insights. This makes desktop PCs the most commonly owned technology device among the 15 devices included in the Prosper survey.
The next-most-popular device in the study was the wireless laptop, owned by just less than half (49%) of respondents, meaning desktops are at least about 20% more popular than any other technology device covered. There is then a sharp drop between laptops and the third-moat-popular device, MP3 players, owned by about half as many (24%) respondents.
Smartphone Owners Favor Wireless Laptops
Examining the device preferences of smartphone owners, the study finds wireless laptops are the most popular tech device in this subgroup with 57% ownership. Desktop computers follow with 49% ownership, closely tailed by Android/Droid devices follow with 44% ownership. Another 35% own iPhones and 32% own Blackberries.
8 in 10 Smartphone Owners Use Facebook
Looking at social networks used by smartphone owners, the study finds about eight in 10 (roughly 82%) use Facebook. No other social network approaches Facebook’s popularity among smartphone owners. Four percent use Twitter, and less than 1% use YouTube and TweetDeck. No preference (7%) and other (also about 7%) are more popular responses than any other specific social networking site.
3 in 4 Smartphone Owners Download Apps
Roughly three in four (77%) smartphone owners download apps. Among app downloaders, games (76%) are the clear favorite, followed by social media (58%) and radio (38%). Looking at frequency with which specific game apps are used, “Angry Birds” is a runaway hit with 20% of smartphone owners saying they use it most often, more than three times the 6% using runner-up “Words with Friends” most often.
In addition, about 38% of smartphone owners who have downloaded at least one app have downloaded the QR code app.
Other Findings
- Pandora is the most popular smartphone radio app, downloaded by 43% of smartphone owners who use radio apps.
- Netflix is the most popular specific movie/TV show app among smartphone owners who use apps in this category, with a 16% download rate.
- Amazon is the most popular specific retail app among smartphone owners who use retail apps, with a 26% download rate.
comScore: 3 in 5 Smartphone Users Access SocNets
In the US, three of every five smartphone owners age 13 and older accessed social networking or blog destinations on their mobile devices for the three-month average period ending June 2011, according to data released by comScore in September 2011. The number of US smartphone users who ever access social networking or blog destinations on their mobiles (both browser and app) has grown 72% in the past year to reach an audience of 47.8 million visitors.
In addition, those users accessing social network or blogs almost daily meanwhile nearly doubled, growing 90% to 28.1 million smartphone users. comScore data indicates social networking is one of the most popular mobile activities in the US.
