Mobile Millennials: Over 85% of Generation Y owns Smartphones

We all live increasingly on our smartphones. In the U.S.—where 171.5 million people (71%) own such a device—smartphones have become the staple of everyday life and the on-the-go tool of choice for consumers looking to catch up on emails, tap their social networks or even tweet about a recent sports game.

Millennials are one of the largest population segments in the U.S., totaling about 77 million, on par with Baby Boomers. And these young consumers are the largest segment of smartphone owners. In the second-quarter 2014, 85% of Millennials aged 18-24 own devices and 86% aged 25-34 own them, an increase from 77% and 80%, respectively, in second-quarter 2013.

While age plays a role in smartphone ownership, this technology doesn’t have a gender divide.

Men and women in the U.S. own smartphones almost equally, with 70% of men owning these devices and 72% of women as of the second-quarter 2014.

In second-quarter 2014, Android was once again the top operating system, with over half of U.S. smartphones (52%) running the operating system. Apple, meanwhile, remained the top smartphone manufacturer with 43% of Americans owning an iPhone.