9% of American adults now go online using an mp3 player, e-book reader or tablet computer.  However, these devices largely play a supporting role for Americans who already access the internet wirelessly using a laptop computer or cell phone.  Just 1% of Americans who do not go online wirelessly using a laptop computer or cell phone use some other type of mobile device to access the internet.

Among mobile internet users, frequency of use is highest among the affluent and well educated, as well as Latinos.  Among those who go online using a handheld device 55% of English-speaking Hispanics, 52% of college graduates and 56% of those with a household income of $75,000 or more per year use their cell phone to go online several times a day.  Young adults are also intense mobile internet users—52% of those ages 18-29 who go online using a cell phone do so several times a day, in additional 17% do so about once a day—although 43% of mobile web users ages 30-49 go online multiple times a day.

Nine in ten 18-29 year olds own a cell phone, and these young cell owners are significantly more than those in other age groups to use mobile data applications.  However, utilization of mobile data applications is growing fast among 30-49 year olds.

Minority Americans lead the way when it comes to mobile access—especially mobile access using handheld devices.  64% of African-Americans and 63% of Latino are wireless internet users, and minority Americans are significantly more likely to own a cell phone than white counterparts (87% of blacks and Hispanics own a cell phone, compared with 80% of whites).  Additionally, black and Latino (English-speaking only) cell phone owners take advantage of a much wider array of their phones’ data functions compared to white cell phone owners.

The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project found that amongst all cell phone owners 54% have used their mobile device to send someone a photo or video; 23% have accessed a social networking site using their phone; 20% have used their phone to watch a video; 15% have posted a photo or video online; 11% have purchased a product using their phone; 11% have made a charitable donation by text message; 10% have used their mobile phone to access a status update service such as Twitter.

As of May 2010, 59% of all adult Americans go online wirelessly, using a laptop or cell phone— an increase over the 51% of Americans who did so at a similar point in 2009.

When asked about their satisfaction with the internet connection speed of their cell phone, 38% reported being somewhat satisfied with the connection speed of their device.