• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

54% of e-book buyers are reading on their smartphones

By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 12, 2015, 5:04 PM ET
Internet Addiction
Woman reading book on iPad with iPhone next to herPhotograph by Marilyn Root — Getty Images

The number of people reading on their phones is a trend that’s on the rise.

While tablets, such as the Kindle and iPad, are still the most popular electronic way to read digital books, they may be pushed aside by smartphones in coming years, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The publication reported on a Nielsen survey taken this past December that found 54% of e-book buyers read on their smartphones. In 2012, that number was just 24%.

Meanwhile, the number of people who read digital books via tablets is 41% for the first three months in 2015, which is up from 30% in 2012, according to the newspaper, citing Nielsen data.

Per the article:

The number of people who read primarily on phones has risen to 14% in the first quarter of 2015 from 9% in 2012.

Meanwhile, those reading mainly on e-readers, such as Kindles and Nooks, dropped over the same period to 32% from 50%. Even tablet reading has declined recently to 41% in the first quarter this year from 44% in 2014.

Reasons people are turning to smartphones? Convenience, of course, as well as ramped up technology that makes reading on mobile phones a more pleasant experience. Smartphone screen sizes, too, are getting larger.

 

About the Author
By Benjamin SnyderManaging Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Benjamin Snyder is Fortune's managing editor, leading operations for the newsroom.

Prior to rejoining Fortune, he was a managing editor at Business Insider and has worked as an editor for Bloomberg, LinkedIn and CNBC, covering leadership stories, sports business, careers and business news. He started his career as a breaking news reporter at Fortune in 2014.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Photo: Inside a data center.
AIEconomics
Without AI spending, U.S. corporate investment in equipment would be negative, a decline that’s ‘worryingly broad-based,’ Pantheon analyst says 
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 23, 2026
4 minutes ago
AICareers
Big Tech is shelling out up to $1 million for new hires who will never have to write a line of code
By Sydney LakeFebruary 23, 2026
5 minutes ago
Workers using AI on desktop
SuccessPromotions
Last year, Accenture trained 550,000 staff members to use AI—now it says promotions hinge on putting that into practice
By Emma BurleighFebruary 23, 2026
22 minutes ago
ghost
AIdisruption
‘Ghost GDP,’ a white-collar recession, and the death of friction: Substack’s top finance writer warns of the 2028 AI crisis nobody sees coming
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 23, 2026
24 minutes ago
Jensen Huang
SuccessWealth
While Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang enjoys an over $150 billion net worth, his fellow cofounder Curtis Priem sold out in 2006—and missed out on $600 billion
By Preston ForeFebruary 23, 2026
40 minutes ago
Crowds at the AI Impact Summit in India.
AIIndia
India’s AI Impact Summit closes with the New Delhi Declaration and a $200 billion boost
By Beatrice NolanFebruary 23, 2026
1 hour ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Innovation
The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 21, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
A two-child household must earn $400,000 a year for childcare to be affordable, study says. 'It’s easy to see why birth rates are falling'
By Jason MaFebruary 22, 2026
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Startups & Venture
'I have a chip on my shoulder.' Phoebe Gates wants her $185 million AI startup Phia to succeed with 'no ties to my privilege or my last name'
By Sydney LakeFebruary 21, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
New Fed report proves Milton Friedman and Joe Biden understood something vital about immigration—and explains why growth may sputter under Trump
By Shawn TullyFebruary 22, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Stocks sell off as traders wake up to the realization that Trump has 'highly punitive' options for new trade tariffs
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 23, 2026
6 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The Russian economy is eating its own muscle to survive as Putin’s war on Ukraine destroys future capacity, former central bank advisor says
By Jason MaFebruary 22, 2026
18 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.