In most parts of the world, it’s now almost unthinkable that you can go through a full day without seeing at least someone looking down at a little black rectangle in their hand. Smartphones are quickly becoming an essential part of modern life, covering so many functions and use that most people would have to make massive adjustments to their lives without one.
Within the United States, smartphone usage has hit record levels this year and is expected to keep climbing slowly throughout the 2020s. The question is, are we ever likely to reach that 100% mark?
Current Usage
According to the most recently available statistics from 2021, around 73% of the U.S. population are now using a smartphone in their daily life, more than double the roughly 30% from just ten years before. There are various social reasons in play, such as older generations gradually disappearing and new generations starting much earlier than before, but there has also been a major push toward making many common services available via mobile devices.
For example, from a smartphone, most people are now able to access banking services, and shopping services via supermarkets or through online retailers. Simple medical inquiries can be made through virtual consultancy services, studying can be done entirely online up to college level, and even utilities can be handled with a few screen taps.
That’s not including all of the entertainment options that are moving to mobile as a primary platform, such as gaming and online casinos. In the latter case, mobile options are rapidly becoming preferred for a lot of players, especially as sites look to make specific mobile casino promotions for those playing from smartphones. They are following a trend across all app developers where mobile users get more value just for using a device.
What Would Be Needed To Hit 100%?
Realistically, hitting 100% smartphone usage or even 95% is impossible. Regardless of all other factors, there are always going to be those that simply don’t want to use smartphones, and this group will always make up a significant section of the population. This includes a number of big-name celebrities who advocate for fans to turn away from using them as well.
Beyond this group, however, it does seem likely that as the years pass and generations change, the usage rates will rise little by little. The move to make essential functions and services looks to be a trend that won’t be reversing any time soon, and we’d expect to see even more services go digital as well. It may take years, even decades, but reaching 80% or possibly 90% isn’t completely out of the question.
The short answer to the question is actual, statistical total usage of smartphones is nigh impossible, although if it does ever reach the level of 85% or 90%, then we can consider it to be functionally true at least. The bigger question now is whether service providers and companies will be able to deliver well enough to support those numbers.
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