Research Shows that SMS is Still the Most Used Messaging Service in the U.S.

Recent research performed by Acision revealed that SMS is still the most prevalent messaging service in the U.S. when compared to other services.

61% of respondents said they own a smartphone today, with 91% of this demographic reportedly using SMS regularly even with various other instant messaging services on their handsets. 65% of these SMS users said they need the service today and 45% of them even said they would be lost without it.  

The research also indicated that U.S. consumers send an average of about 107 SMS messages per week. Analysts believe that this number may be due to proper pricing plans that encourage SMS use, such as an unlimited talk and text plans.

When asked why SMS was more preferred than other instant messaging services, respondents said that speed of delivery, its reach, and its reliability was much better than the instant messaging services. Only 4% of smartphone users said that instant messaging is more reliable and faster than SMS.

Survey takers were pleased with SMS messaging, but said they will likely use the following features if offered by operators: message delivery notifications, black/white listing, and group messaging. About a third of all respondents said they would even pay for these "premium" services.