Text Messaging, Voice Video Calls, Internet, Email Rank Among Most Popular Smartphone Features Average number of % of smartphone owners who used the following features on their phone at least once over the course of 14 surveys spanning a one-week period
While texting, talking, emailing and going online dominate, a majority of Americans also use their smartphones for social networking, taking photos or videos, and catching up with the news. A vast majority of smartphone owners say they used their phone for text messaging, voice and video calling, email and accessing the internet at least once over a weeklong “experience sampling” study. Besides these four activities, other smartphone apps were also popular. Three-quarters of smartphone owners reported using their phone for social media, while 60% took pictures or a video, and more than half (55%) got news on their smartphone at least once over the course of the one-week survey period.
Text Messaging, Voice Video Calls, Internet, Email  | Rank Among Most Popular Smartphone Features  | Average number of  | % of smartphone owners who used the  | following features on their phone at least  | surveys (max 14) in  | which they reported  | once over the course of 14 surveys  | spanning a one-week period  | using these features  | 7.0 surveys  | Text messaging  | 97%  | Voice/video calls  | 4.1  | 92  | Internet  | 4.4  | 89  | Email  | 5.3  | 88  | Social networking  | 4.2  | 75  | 1.4  | Take pictures/video  | 60  | News  | 1.7  | 55  | Watching video  | 50  | 1.3  | Games  | 47  | 1.9  | Maps  | 0.8  | 41  | Music or podcasts  | 1.3  | 41  | Pew Research Center American Trends Panel experience samplingsurvey, Nov. 10-16,  | 2014.  | Respondents were conta cted twice a day overthe courseofone week (14 total surveys)  | and Respondents asked how they had used their phone in the preceding hour (besides completingthe  | survey). Only those respondents who completed 10 or more surveysover the course ofthe  | study period are included in this analysis.  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 