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62 percent of US mobile users between the ages of 25 and 34 own smartphones, compared to just 43 percent of all US mobile phone users, according to the latest mobile report from Nielsen.

Older folks rank low on smartphone adoption, but Nielsen points out that those between 55 and 64 are the second-fastest growing group, jumping 5 percentage points this quarter to reach 30 percent.

it is expected that in the United States alone, there will be 115.8 million smartphone users by the time this year comes to an end.

Statistics indicate that 64 percent of smartphone owners already take part in mobile commerce.

It found that Android devices lead the way in overall popularity at 51% followed by iPhones at 38%. 

The numbers for Android devices are skewed even higher for the young age group at 58%, showing that marketers must ensure that their sites are equally optimised for apps and web browsers via Android devices as they are for iOS devices.

88% of consumers who shop using mobile apps on Android tablets report the highest levels of satisfaction compared to 71% of iPad users. Similarly satisfaction among Android smartphone users is 69% versus 66% on iPhone

Unfortunately, many of the consumers find that even when they do know what QR codes are and they use their mobile devices to scan them, they rapidly discover that the mobile marketers didn’t take the time to make the scan worthwhile. For example, if all the code does is direct the user to the homepage of a website, there will be a far poorer response than if scanning the code allows the smartphone owner to gain access to an exclusive discount coupon.

Among the main problems are that while they have become highly popular among companies, many consumers still haven’t figured out what they are. This is a slow learning process that is catching on, but that hasn’t included the majority of smartphone users quite yet.

Mark Donovan, senior vice president of mobile and senior analyst with comScore, believes that the popularity of QR codes is ramping up because of the increasing popularity of smartphones. “I think that we’re seeing things like QR codes just start to reach critical mass,” said Donovan. “Today, one in three people in the U.S. owns a smartphone. It’s a good and fairly ubiquitous way to reach those people and there’s still some novelty to it, which can be interesting to consumers.”

The main benefit of QR codes is that they make it easy to direct the consumer wherever you want to lead them. Anything businesses can do to engage potential customers will enhance the “stickiness” of that company in a person’s mind. With enough compelling engagement on your part, potential customers just may become lifelong customers.

In just the two years since the release of Apple's iPad, the U.S. tablet market has reached a "critical mass," with nearly one in four smartphone owners also using a tablet in the three-month period ending in April, according to data released by market researcher ComScore.

Tablet use among smartphone owners has more than doubled in the past year, going from 9.7 percent last year to 23.6 percent this year, ComScore found.

"Tablets are one of the most rapidly adopted consumer technologies in history and are poised to fundamentally disrupt the way people engage with the digital world both on-the-go and perhaps most notably, in the home," Mark Donovan, ComScore's senior vice president of mobile,

Mobile adoption is skyrocketing, as is the diversity of mobile devices on the market – smartphones and tablets are currently leading multi-screen customer experiences. Today’s multi-device environment is bolstering mindshare and profile for responsive design because it offers a compelling promise to both website visitors and to those who build the Web: a single website that works on all devices.

33% of all African-Americans own a smartphone.

Test your site’s mobile usability. Does your site look good clean on your smartphone? If it doesn’t, get it fixed.

Use responsive web designs. You can save yourself and your website visitors headaches by employing a web design that automatically adjusts to the size of screen it’s displayed on. That way, users will get a positive website experience no matter which type of device they use.

Develop a mobile app. If you lack the funds to outsource the creation of an app to a company that specializes in it, you can develop an app on your own with platforms like Conduit Mobile.

The earthquake that devastated Haiti nearly two years ago was followed by a massive relief effort that was supported in part by millions of dollars in donations by people who used mobile phones to text $5 or $10 to disaster aid groups.

Mobile giving has also gotten religion -- literally. Some churches in Los Angeles and parts of Arizona have recently tested systems that allow their members use cellphones to make their Sunday-morning offerings virtually, instead of dropping coins, bills or envelopes in a plate passed down the pew.

Many disaster aid campaigns have relied on contributions of fixed amounts, such as $5 or $10, via texting, with wireless carriers dropping the texting fees and collecting the donations to distribute to charities. But new tools make it possible to make more generous donations via an SMS message or a smartphone app linked to a credit card or other account, Plank said.

In July Wheeler's team came up with an idea to do an augmented reality app for the holiday season. By pointing an iPhone or Android smartphone camera at one of the company's red holiday cups, a character on the phone would appear to ski, run, or move in some way on the cup, bridging the digital and physical worlds.

Youth marketing agency Archival Youth Marketing have conducted a survey of over 500 students on 24 college campuses across the US to find out what they think about QR Codes. Of the students surveyed 81% owned a smartphone and 80% had previously seen a QR code. 21% of the students successfully scanned a QR Code when shown an example and 75% of the students said they are “Not Likely” to scan a QR code in the future. (The infographic below is reproduced with the express permission of Archival)

a silicon bracelet that carries a QR (quick response) code. Emergency responders and health care providers can use a smartphone to scan the QR code, which also can be printed on a necklace or wallet card, and call up the patient's personal website, maintained by Richardson's Edmond-based company.The website “basically gives customers the ability to create a profile, and they can choose to show or hide illnesses, medication and emergency contacts

The company plans to sell the wristband or necklace for about $10, with a $5 monthly subscription to the website containing the client's medical information, Richardson said. Each customer would fill out a template on the company website, then the client can determine how much of that information will be displayed when the code is scanned, Richardson said.

The QR code program works in conjunction with Wildfire’s new mobile site. The codes are used for a variety of purposes and are located in an assortment of locations throughout Wildfires many restaurants in Chicago and it’s surrounding suburbs. Wildfire has placed the QR codes on everything from posters, to tabletops, to windows. The QR codes help Wildfire to endorse any upcoming events and promotions in order to keep customers “in the know” with the ultimate goal of increased customer participation in store events and promotions. The program gives Wildfire an opportunity to to interact with their guests all the while generating buzz for the restaurant and creating a unique experience for the diner.

"As the number of people with smartphones continues to escalate, marketing to the mobile customer is becoming increasingly more critical to the marketing mix.

Dissatisfied consumers could quickly move on to competitors at a time digital sales are one of the few bright spots in holiday retailing, Tack says.

November and December online sales (excluding travel) are expected to grow 16.8% from last year to $46.7 billion, research company eMarketer says.

Nearly half of smartphone and tablet users plan to make holiday purchases with a mobile device this year, according to a study conducted by Ipsos for PayPal.