The smartphone is taking over the web

The tech community is often buzzing about high-tech tablets, notebooks and desktop computers, but a recent survey by the Pew Research Center shows that the smartphone is rapidly becoming one of the main methods that Americans use to access the Internet. A full 35 percent of all adults in the U. S. now own smartphones, and 68 percent of them use them to get on the web every day. That is a lot of web access, but even more surprising is that a full 25 percent of smartphone owners now use them as their primary method to access the web and not computers.

The rise of the smartphone as web access tool is aided by the steady improvement of mobile web browsers on smartphones. Web access on every smartphone platform is pretty darn good, and in spite of the small screens on phones they are still very useful methods to get information from the Internet. Pinching and zooming makes it easy to get to the pertinent information on the small screen, and as most mobile browsers now do a good job providing a desktop browser-like experience the smartphone is a solid web appliance.

The proliferation of smartphone apps also plays a significant role in smartphone web access, as a good app can dramatically improve online access tailored for the small display. Many major news outlets now have apps, often free, that deliver the "sound-bite" news we have grown conditioned to expect. Give us the top news in a minute or two is what we want, and smartphone apps deliver that perfectly.

Smartphone adoption has grown steadily over the past few years, and that will continue as more folks get exposed to them. Even folks who claim they have no need to access the web with a phone often change their tune once exposed to the technology. The ability to jump on the web easily to get needed information is a powerful thing, and aided by the fact that owners always have the smartphone close at hand.