Smartphones and tablets are being adopted by all walks of life at an unbelievably high rate, but you might be surprised which demographic is growing the fastest. If you'd guessed people in their twenties, you'd be wrong. Sure, they may be the largest percentage of smartphone owners, but a recent study from Nielsen shows it’s their grandparents, people over the age of 55, who are the group with the most rapid adoption numbers.

So, what do you think is the most likely reason for this trend? Well, for one, smartphones are becoming easier to use with larger text and are also less expensive to own on a monthly basis. It seems, until recently, that people over the age of 55 were more accustomed to thinking of smartphones as highly advanced devices needed only for constantly connected businesspeople, who check email and travel on a regular basis. However, based on the new data from this study, it’s obvious that this is no longer the case.

Older generations of smartphone users also offer new opportunities for app developers. A survey conducted by The Pew Research Center shows adults age 30 to 49 are the fastest growing demographic in mobile app usage. Productivity apps like Quickoffice provide this and the over 55 expanding demographic with tools to turn their mobile devices into productivity powerhouses. Tablets and smartphones especially are devices people use every day, and are increasingly being used for additional purposes other than strictly gaming, gossip and video. We see productivity apps as becoming essential for people of all generations as increased availability of powerful productivity software further bolsters the beginnings of a more technologically integrated social mobile world.   

Share your opinions about smartphone adoption and app usage in different age demographics. If you are a Quickoffice user, what age group do you fall in? We’d love it if you could take a moment to participate in our poll so that we’re able to learn more about our users.