ComScore noted sales to lower-income consumers accelerated since the July appearance of the iPhone 3G, which offers high-speed Internet access. Ownership of the iPhone rose 48 percent from June 1 to the end of August among households earning between US$25,000 and $50,000 a year, compared to 21 percent overall, the study showed.

Adoption of smart phones in this segment grew 16 percent over that period, ahead of the market average of 12 percent. Mobile-browser use grew 4.9 percent among lower-income consumers, versus 2.7 percent overall, and their mobile music-listening rose 4.7 percent, compared to an overall decline of 0.3 percent. Email use, however, slightly lagged.

The study tracked changes in comScore's monthly online survey of 33,962 mobile-phone users. There were 2.6 million U.S. users of the iPhone at the end of August, which represented just 1% of U.S. cellphone users, according to comScore.

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