{
  "schema_version": "1.1",
  "id": "pew-98-percent-own-cellphone-seniors-78-smartphone",
  "slug": "pew-98-percent-own-cellphone-seniors-78-smartphone",
  "url": "https://groundedkit.com/claims/pew-98-percent-own-cellphone-seniors-78-smartphone/",
  "api_url": "https://groundedkit.com/api/claims/pew-98-percent-own-cellphone-seniors-78-smartphone.json",
  "claim": "98% of US adults own a cellphone; smartphone ownership is 97% among 18–29s but 78% among those 65+ (Pew, 2025)",
  "commonly_cited_as": "\"How many seniors have smartphones?\"",
  "verdict": "verified",
  "verdict_definition": "Primary source found; it says the same thing, the scope matches, and it is reasonably current.",
  "confidence": "high",
  "rating": {
    "value": 5,
    "best": 5,
    "worst": 1
  },
  "origin": {
    "publisher": "Pew Research Center",
    "title": "Mobile Fact Sheet",
    "year": "2025"
  },
  "quote": "The vast majority of Americans – 98% – now own a cellphone of some kind. ... Ages 18-29 30-49 50-64 65+ Cellphone 99 99 98 95 Smartphone 97 96 90 78",
  "method": "National survey of 5,022 US adults, Feb. 5–June 18, 2025.",
  "drift": [
    "Total smartphone ownership is 91%; age gaps matter when targeting older audiences"
  ],
  "interest": "n/a (nonpartisan research center funded mainly by The Pew Charitable Trusts).",
  "safe_rephrasing": "Pew's 2025 survey found 98% of US adults own a cellphone; smartphone ownership is 97% for ages 18–29 and 78% for ages 65 and older.",
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Pew — Mobile Fact Sheet",
      "url": "https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/",
      "primary": true
    }
  ],
  "kind": "reference_fact",
  "as_of": "Survey Feb. 5–June 18, 2025",
  "last_checked": "2026-10-16",
  "stale": false,
  "date_reviewed": "2026-10-16",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0",
  "license_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
}