Women and Smartphones Usage On the Rise?

On my way to work this morning, I came to the realization of something. That is, more and more women are buying and using their smartphones everywhere I go. In fact, in a quick survey to work, I would see a ratio for every 1 man using a smart device, 5 women are using theirs. This observation obviously would go against the conventional wisdom knowing male age 18-40 are the biggest smartphone buyers. It could be that living in NYC, a condensed city of intelligent folks has a higher smartphone penetration or men could be buying them as gadgets/toys while women actually use them more often in public as a tool to organize their schedule.

Even as I took a quick headcount amongst my close friends and family members, I realized a significant of them (women) have smartphones:

* My wife has an iPhone 8GB & BlackBerry (company-issued)
* My Sister has an iPhone 8GB
* My wife's best friend Mary has the HTC Dash
* My wife's good friend Teresa has an iPhone 8GB
* Cousin Pam has a N95-1
* Family friend Vicky has a Samsung Blackjack
* My friend Deb in Philly has an AT&T Tilt
* Co-worker Christina has had a BlackBerry 8700c, now Curve
* Even my new Intern is sporting a Moto Q

What is most amazing about the people mentioned is that they bought their smartphones for their personal use, not subsidized by their company.