The firm has released its data indicating that the rate in the United States broke the 60 percent mark last quarter.
comScore just released its latest technology news data on Friday, which has identified the latest penetration and other trends in the mobile world, using data as recent as the end of July.
As of the close of July 2013, there was a considerable growth in smartphone popularity in the U.S.
The latest mobile technology news trends up until the last quarter have shown that the penetration rate of smartphones in the United States has now broken the 60 percent mark. The details of the report from comScore showed that the leading manufacturer of smartphones in the U.S. is still Apple.
The technology news data showed that Apple is maintaining a hold of 40 percent OEM market share.
At the same time, while Apple may be the single smartphone device manufacturer leading the way, it is Android that is making the technology news as the most popular smartphone platform, not Apple’s proprietary iOS. Android’s lead is considerable, as it holds an estimated 52 percent of the platform market share.
As a result of this, it didn’t come as a surprise to very many people that Google Sites were once again the leaders in that category of technology news, last quarter, as they have in the previous quarters.
The comScore report stated that “Google Sites ranked as the top web property on smartphones, reaching 92.6 percent of the mobile media audience (mobile browsing and app usage).” Their technology news went on to say that this was “followed by Facebook (86.3 percent), Yahoo! Sites (81.7 percent) and Amazon Sites (66.8 percent).”
When all was said and done, the comScore data estimated that during the surveyed period, there were 143.3 million people in the United States who owned smartphones. The estimated penetration rate which is now believed to be greater than 60 percent would indicate that there has been an increase of a considerable 3 percent since April 2013. This clearly indicates that these devices are making rapid headway within the United States, and that the growth will continue.
Mobile games represent some risks for young consumers
As mobile devices become increasingly common among children, their exposure to mobile games is skyrocketing. This trend has not gone unnoticed by the game industry, of course, as many developers fashion games to specifically appeal to young consumers. While this practice is not often criticized, there are dangers that exist in the world of mobile gaming that could be considered to be exploitative to young children. In-game advertising is one such danger, as children often engage in ads that collect personal information from the users of mobile devices. In-game purchases are also another danger and it is not uncommon for children to spend significant amounts of their parent’s money while playing mobile games.
Patent outlines software system from Microsoft
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has made public a patent application from Microsoft that may help mitigate the dangers that face children in the realm of mobile games. The patent outlines a centralized system throughout which parents can monitor and restrict the activities of a mobile device. This could help parents keep their children from engaging in advertisements that collect personal information and keep these children from making frivolous purchases in their favorite mobile games.
Software could restrict features of nearly any mobile device
According to the patent, the software system can be set up on nearly any mobile device. The software will be able to monitor the activity of this mobile device and can alert parents when these devices are being used overnight or when a child visits a website that is considered off-limits. The software can also restrict the capabilities of a smartphone, allowing children to only call their parents or make use of emergency numbers. The system could also place major restrictions on the features of smartphones and tablets during school hours.
Lawmakers work to mitigate risks associated with mobile games
While mobile games are not malicious by nature, there are relatively few restrictions in place that are meant to protect the privacy of young consumers and limit the amount of money they can spend on these mobile games. In the U.S., federal lawmakers are working to improve security standards in order to ensure that mobile games do not exploit children and young adults.
