Statistics about smartphone use vary, because there is not an industry-standard
definition of these phones. Measuring the number of smartphones sold can be
misleading, because some users do not subscribe to the data services, and many users
do not use the services they subscribe to because they do not know how to use them or
are afraid they will be billed for additional charges (Mintel Market Research Reports,
2009). However, reviewing statistics from market research companies can provide a
general estimate of the current popularity of smartphones. Synovate, a marketing
research company, surveyed 8,000 mobile phone users in the USA and found 21
percent owned smartphones (Synovate, 2009). Another market research company, the
NPD Group (The NPD Group, 2009), found that 28 percent of mobile phone users in the
USA bought smartphones in the second quarter of 2009; a 47 percent increase over the
previous year