American consumers indicated that approximately 28 percent of the mobile handsets they purchased recently were basic mobile phones and 71 percent were smartphones. Close to 69 percent of the handsets they plan to buy in the future are likely to be smartphones.

The majority of consumers who recently purchased a handset (of any type) reported a mean overall handset purchase price of approximately $114.23 (weighted). Similarly, the majority of consumers who plan to buy any type of handset in the near future plan to spend on average approximately $127.25 (weighted).

When iGR examined the price the respondents were willing to pay for a smartphone, the survey showed that consumers were on average willing to pay $135.90 for an Apple iPhone compared to $124.65 for an Android device. Thus, despite the range of Android smartphones available across all price points, Apple is able to command an average of $11 higher price per device.

"Smartphones have become the new norm," said Iain Gillott, president and founder of iGR, a market research consultancy focused on the wireless & mobile industry. "60 percent of the survey respondents iGR interviewed reported using a smartphone." And while smartphone users do tend to be younger (below 45), that demographic is shifting as smartphones become more common and more appealing to older consumers. Indeed, the purchasing demographic must shift in the next few years in order for smartphone adoption to increase.