With 90 percent of New Yorkers now using cell phones, more than one-fifth of New York homes, and more than one-quarter of Upstate New York homes no longer have landlines, according to a Siena Research Institute poll, sponsored by AT&T, released today.
“It’s no surprise that over the last decade or so, cell phone usage has become nearly universal. More and more New York homes are giving up their landline phones every day,” said Dr. Don Levy, Director of the Siena Research Institute. “Today, twice as many New Yorkers make all or most of their phone calls on cell phones compared to those who make all or most of their calls on landlines. And that number will only continue to grow.
“While about two-thirds of New York households have both a landline and at least one cell phone, 21 percent of all households in New York State – including 28 percent of Upstate households – have no landline,” Levy said. “More than one-third of Latinos and New Yorkers under 35-years-old live in households with no cell phones.”
Of those who do use landlines, 69 percent of New Yorkers, including 57 percent of Upstaters, say that they receive home telephone service through their cable company, while 29 percent of all and 41 percent of Upstaters say that they have another provider.
Seventy percent of cell phone users – 63 percent of New Yorkers – use smartphones, including 83 percent of those under 35. By a margin of 53-43 percent, most New York smartphone users have chosen iPhones over Androids.
Nearly three-quarters of New Yorkers – including nine in ten New Yorkers under 35 and slightly more than one-quarter of those 65 and older – use their cell phones for texting.
“Texting has become virtually ubiquitous among younger New Yorkers, and even a significant and growing percentage of older New Yorkers are using their cell phones to text,” Levy said. “And cell phone emailing is not far behind. Nearly half of New Yorkers, including more than three-quarters of smartphone users, say they send and receive emails on their cell phones.”
More than half of New Yorkers (84 percent of those with smartphones) use their phones for travel directions. More than two-thirds of those with smartphone use it for tracking news (42 percent of all New Yorkers) and Facebook (41 percent of New Yorkers). Additionally, 40 percent of New Yorkers say they use their cell phones to listen to music, 27 percent use them to Skype or Facetime, and 22 percent watch movies on their cell phones.
Half of smartphone users (39 percent of all New Yorkers) use wireless technology – including Bluetooth – from their cars.
“Mobile technology opens a gateway of promise for all New Yorkers,” said Marissa Shorenstein, New York State President, AT&T. “As the number of New Yorkers with smartphones continues to grow – and the demands those users have for new and increased functionality from their phones grow as well – providers will need to continue to push the envelope to offer expanded services and exceptional quality. Technological innovation will continue to spur our mobile economy and AT&T is proud to make a multibillion dollar nationwide investment in the mobile communications network of the future to sustain this demand.”