Almost 60 percent of U.S. subscribers now text

Nearly 60 percent of U.S. mobile phone owners now use their devices to text--up from 54 percent in 2008--according to a new study conducted by independent panel research firm Toluna on behalf of voice recognition solutions provider Vlingo. Ninety-four percent of American teens and 87 percent of twentysomethings now text, but the study also notes continued growth among older age groups: Usage jumped from 56 percent in 2008 to 64 percent in 2009 among subscribers in their 40s, while usage grew from 38 percent last year to 46 percent in the current year. In terms of SMS volume, the 13-to-19 age group remains the most active, sending more than 500 texts per month on average. The Vlingo report adds that 35 percent of all U.S. subscribers now rely on their phones more for texting than for voice calls--about half of respondents use voice and text in equal numbers.

Among the roughly 5,000 U.S. subscribers polled by Toluna, 41 percent still do not text, 70 percent do not browse the mobile web and 73 percent do not use mobile email. With 86 percent of respondents paying their mobile phone bills themselves, 44 percent cite cost as a barrier to adopting text messaging--59 percent cite cost for eschewing web browsing, and 53 percent contend cost is why they've not embraced mobile email. In addition, 27 percent of subscribers who do not text blame the difficulty of typing on the handset keyboard as a barrier, while 37 percent contend it takes too much time to type.

Despite driving-while-texting bans in seven states and Washington, D.C., Vlingo reports that 26 percent of mobile subscribers continue to text behind the wheel. Drivers in Tennessee are the worst offenders, with 42 percent of respondents admitting to driving while texting, while Arizona has the lowest percentage at 18.8 percent. To top it all off, slightly more than 83 percent of respondents believe driving while texting should be illegal, compared to 7 percent who believe it should be legal. Ten percent are undecided.

For more on the Vlingo texting survey:
- read this release [1]

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Study: Users addicted to mobile messaging [3]
Sprint: Users want but can't figure out mobile email [4]