American Smartphone Owners Reach 64 Pct, But High Costs Cause Contract Cancellations

Around 64 percent of American adults own smartphones, up 29 percent in just four years as more Americans have come to depend on the devices for access to information about news events, according to a new Pew Research Study released Wednesday.

The study found that while more people are using smartphones, the associated costs with owning one including the phone contract can run as high as several hundred dollars per month which has caused 23 percent of all US smartphone owners and 48 percent of smartphone-dependent users to either cancel or suspend their phone service.

"The connections to online resources that smartphones facilitate are often most tenuous for those users who rely on those connections the most," said Aaron Smith, a senior researcher at Pew Research Center.

The survey also finds that a substantial number of smartphone owners use their phone to follow along with news events near and far, to share details of local happenings with others, and to navigate the world around them.

Here are some key findings from the study:

• 68% of smartphone owners use their phone at least occasionally to follow along with breaking news events, with 33% saying that they do this "frequently."

• 67% use their phone to share pictures, videos, or commentary about events happening in their community, with 35% doing so frequently.

• 56% use their phone at least occasionally to learn about community events or activities, with 18% doing this "frequently."

• 67% of smartphone owners use their phone at least occasionally for turn-by-turn navigation while driving, with 31% saying that they do this "frequently."

• 25% use their phone at least occasionally to get public transit information, with 10% doing this "frequently."

These findings are based on 2,011 smartphone owners in Pew Research's American Trends Panel in November 2014.