of U.S. adults own a cellphone
Cellphones are nearly universal in the United States, according to Pew Research Center’s 2025 survey of U.S. adults.
Pew Research Center, 2025 ↗U.S. MOBILE REFERENCE
U.S. Smartphone & Wireless Statistics: 2026
A current snapshot of smartphone ownership, wireless connectivity, and mobile data use in the United States.
LAST UPDATEDAugust 11, 2026
10 source-backed facts from Pew Research Center and CTIA.
THE BIG PICTURE
Phones are part of nearly every day.
Smartphones sit at the center of how people communicate, navigate, work, watch, shop, and stay connected. These figures bring together recent U.S. ownership and wireless-use data in one place for readers who need a reliable, easy-to-check reference.
VIEW THE STATISTICS ↓of U.S. adults own a smartphone
About nine in ten U.S. adults reported owning a smartphone in Pew Research Center’s 2025 survey.
Pew Research Center, 2025 ↗of adults under 50 own a smartphone
Smartphone ownership was 97% among U.S. adults ages 18 to 29 and among those ages 30 to 49.
Pew Research Center, 2025 ↗of adults 65 and older own a smartphone
Smartphone use also reaches a large majority of older adults, though ownership remains lower than among younger age groups.
Pew Research Center, 2025 ↗of adults rely on a smartphone without home broadband
Pew defines these adults as owning a smartphone but not subscribing to home broadband service.
Pew Research Center, 2025 ↗of adults ages 18 to 29 are smartphone-only internet users
Young adults were the age group most likely to rely on a smartphone without a home broadband subscription.
Pew Research Center, 2025 ↗mobile wireless devices were in service
CTIA reported more than 579 million mobile devices in service in the United States at year-end 2024.
CTIA Annual Survey, 2025 ↗wireless devices for every person
The 2024 count works out to more than 1.7 wireless devices per person in the United States.
CTIA Annual Survey, 2025 ↗of wireless devices used 5G
More than 259 million devices had a 5G connection at year-end 2024, according to CTIA.
CTIA Annual Survey, 2025 ↗megabytes of wireless data were used in 2024
U.S. mobile wireless data traffic reached 132.5 trillion megabytes in 2024, up from 100.1 trillion megabytes in 2023.
CTIA Annual Survey, 2025 ↗WHAT THE NUMBERS SHOW
Mobile access is an everyday utility.
Ownership is widespread across every age group, but a meaningful share of Americans rely on a smartphone as their main way online. At the same time, the country’s wireless network supports more connected devices and more data use each year.
For everyday phone users, that makes the practical details matter: a case that protects the device, charging gear that fits the routine, and power that travels well. Explore phone cases, chargers and cables, or power banks from Snap & Grip.
METHODOLOGY & SOURCES
How to use this page.
Each figure above links to the primary source used for that statistic. Pew Research Center’s figures come from its survey of 5,022 U.S. adults conducted February 5 through June 18, 2025. CTIA’s wireless figures come from its 2025 annual survey summary, which reports year-end 2024 industry data.
Figures are presented as reported by their sources. This page is updated when a key source publishes newer data, while individual statistic links stay in place for easy reference.
CITE THIS PAGE
Snap & Grip. “U.S. Smartphone & Wireless Statistics: 2026.” Updated August 11, 2026. https://snap-n-grip.com/mobile-accessory-statistics