19% Of U.S. Subscribers Using Smartphones19% Of U.S. Subscribers Using Smartphones

U.S. consumers are increasingly purchasing smartphones and using the mobile Web, according to a new study from the Kelsey Group.

The study, entitled "Mobile Market View," found that 18.9% of consumers surveyed had a smartphone, and 49.2% planned to buy one within the next two years.

Once the exclusive domain of business personnel, more and more smartphones are being marketed and sold to mainstream consumers. Apple's iPhone and iPhone 3G have been tremendous hits with the casual market, as have handset like the Palm Centro, and the Samsung Instinct. Even Research In Motion has aggressively targeted the casual market with BlackBerry models like the Flip, Storm, and Curve.

The study also found that these smartphone users had a marked increase in the level of mobile search activity. About 18% downloaded or looked at map directions on the handset, an increase from 10.8% in 2007. There were also significant increases in the amount of mobile subscribers who searched for products, movie and entertainment information, and mobile social networking also got a boost.

The results show how consumers are increasingly using their handsets to access the Internet. This trend is a major reason why Google has introduced its Android platform, as the search giant wants to bring its lucrative ad platform to the mobile space. Google, HTC, and T-Mobile recently released the G1, and Android is expected to be on multiple handsets from various carriers.

"We believe the introduction of more user-friendly smartphones is ushering in a new mobile paradigm where devices now offer an Internet experience that is as easy as traditional voice connectivity," said Matt Booth, senior VP at Kelsey Group, in a statement. "The implication is that users will increasingly turn to their smartphones for local commercial and social search experiences, and the data certainly suggest this is already happening."