The Technology Tracker started in 2004. This research measures awareness, access, use of and attitudes towards fixed and mobile telecoms, internet, multi-channel TV, and radio, among UK adults (aged 16+). Across the UK overall, and within each UK nation, the Technology Tracker provides detailed analysis by key population demographics, sub-region, and by urban vs. rural. It collects data that enable comparisons to be made with older data collected by Ofcom, informing Ofcom analysis, reports and decisions. Up to and including 2014, there were three waves of research per year: from 2015 to 2017, there were two waves per year, in April and October. From 2018 there will be one wave of research per year. The data have been published in csv format since 2011. The datasets from 2011 to 2015 inclusive contain the chart data only: from 2016 onwards they will contain all the data from the .spss files.

Smartphone usage in the United Kingdom has increased across all age ranges since 2012, most noticeably among those aged 55-64 years of age. Whereas just nine percent of mobile phone users aged 55 to 64 years used a smartphone in 2012, this number rose to over 90 percent by 2023 and reached 93 percent in 2024. Smartphones are becoming more accessibleAs well as becoming more ubiquitous, smartphones are also becoming more accessible. In terms of price, the global average selling price of smartphones has fallen from 336.8 U.S. dollars in 2010, to 276.20 U.S. dollars in 2015. However, estimates available from 2019 predicted that the average selling price of smartphones worldwide will increase again and reach 317 U.S. dollars by 2021. The average selling price for smartphones in Europe was at around 373 euros in 2019. Smartphone usage in the UK    Smartphones are the Swiss army knife of digital devices, with their capabilities limited by the creativity of developers as much as it is the technology contained in the phone. In 2017, communications were the most popular ways to use a phone, however, 87 percent of users report using camera apps frequently, 85 percent report frequent use of browser apps, and 68 percent report frequent use of navigation apps.