Nielsen: First Time Smartphone And Feature Phone Usage Equal

It's the first time this has ever happened folks, so mark it on your calendar: Nielsen Wire has reported that they've found both Smartphones and Feature Phones (every kind of cell phone other than Smartphones) are being used an equal amount in the USA. This finding covers February, a point at which – as you can see on the chart below, Smartphone use has moved up to 50% while cellphone use other than Smartphones has leveled down to 50%. In addition to this, it appears that over the past three months, new acquirers of Smartphones specifically picked up an iPhone nearly as much as they did any Android device on the market – with BlackBerry and "Other" down in the dust.

This study shows how quickly the Smartphone world has exploded, with usage already at a fairly impressive 30% back in the Autumn of 2010 and rising essentially 10% year over year since then. Feature phone usage appears then, of course, to be falling at essentially the exact same rate – there's only two kinds of cell phones, after all. This study of course does not cover tablet usage or "phablet" usage, as it were – the Galaxy Note may well be folded into Smartphone usage in this case.

The Smartphone Operating System Share then from Nielsen is sitting at a slightly more fair range for the devices in the field right this moment than it has been for recent pick-ups of devices. Android ownership surprisingly sits at the exact same level as 3 month recent acquirers at 48%, while the iPhone sits 9 points behind its 3 month acquired number at 32%. RIM's BlackBerry seems to be in a slightly better place here for all owners at 12% while "Other" is still basically dead in the water at 8%.

How about you? If I were you ask SlashGear owners of cell/mobile phones right now what they owned, what would the results be? Have a peek at our new Facebook poll right this minute to find out! Which kind of phone do you own? And don't forget to explain yourself!

[via Nielsen]