Nielsen reports more Americans owning smartphones, with Android taking the lead

Not long ago the general opinion from most folks was they didn’t have a need for smartphones, but it looks like that is quickly changing as smartphonese are becoming the norm. The latest report from Nielsen reveals approximately 44 percent of Americans now own them, and this is up 18 percent from two years ago. And the best part about this the majority of those users are using… You guessed it, Android.

The American study shows that 44.2 percent are using Android devices, with most using HTC hardware at 15.8 percent, Samsung came in at 10.04 percent and Motorola with 10.7 percent.  And don’t forget about the other guy, Apple. iPhones make up for about  28.6 percent of smartphone users in the United States.

The data from the monthly surveys of 25,000 people also shows that most packing smartphones are under the age of 40 with 64 percent of them being age 25-34 and 53 percent of people age 18-24. In every age group, Android is leading with 74 percent of the market for those ages 18 to 34, with Apple at 29 percent.

And what do you know, 62 percent of smartphone owners have installed apps! Nielsen also says mobile gaming is leading the way for the top category. Also mentioned in a report from Nielsen earlier this week, Facebook with the Android Market are the top 2 apps for Android.

I’ve been using smartphones for a few years now, and I honestly think I would go crazy without mine as I have become so dependent on it for every day life. How about you? Could you go back to a regular phone? Let us know.

[via pcmag by nielsen]