• Fast Company, Thursday, December 16, 2010 2:20 PM

Even among "spendthrift" youth, "dumbphone's" days are numbered, according to Fast Company, citing new research from Nielsen. Presently, among those 15-to-24 worldwide, the U.S. still lags behind with just 33% of young people owning smartphones. The U.S. is also an exception in male-female share of smartphone ownership, which favors young men pretty much everywhere, except in the U.S., where 55% of young smartphone owners are women, notes Fast Company. What can Nielsen's research tell us about next year?

For one, "Android's push to sell more, cheaper devices is likely to succeed, and push up ownership among younger users everywhere," Fast Company suggests, "likewise Apple's habit of retaining the previous generation iPhone at a low entry price, aided by the iPhone's cachet." There's also the fact that kids are increasingly choosing what devices they'll be using - rather than their parents making the call. Therefore, "By targeting PR campaigns to appeal to younger consumers, who chose their own purchases, smartphone makers and networks can increase market penetration."

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