According to one research company, nearly half of all mobile subscribers now own smartphones instead of traditional feature phones.

A recent Nielsen report suggests 48 percent of all mobile subscribers in the United States now have smartphones, such as Apple's iPhone or HTC's Evo. This is even more so the case among young consumers in the 25 to 34 age bracket, with 66 percent of these people owning the devices.

"In the same age group, eight of 10 of those that had gotten a new device in the last three months chose a smartphone. Among those who chose a device in the last three months, more than half of those under 65 had chosen a smartphone," the report notes.

Moreover, smartphone owners are particularly lucrative as they are affluent individuals. Four-fifths of young consumers generating incomes of more than $100,000 annually (80 percent) own smartphones, while 74 percent of people in the same age bracket making between $75,000 and $100,000 have the devices.

If retailers still aren't sold on the value of having a smartphone application, a separate report from Nielsen suggests the devices are "the ultimate shopping companion" for consumers. Approximately 38 percent of shoppers use their phones to compare prices in stores, 38 percent look for products using apps, 32 percent read online reviews of goods, 24 percent search for coupons and 22 percent actually buy items straight from their smartphones.

A significant number of consumers are also interested in using their phones as mobile wallets to make point-of-sale purchases at cash registers.

"Apps, which account for the majority of mobile phone time in the U.S., may be the key to shifting consumers from browsing products on their phone to making purchases on the spot. Although only 9 percent of mobile shoppers have used their phone to pay at the register, the desire to do so is apparent – 71 percent of app downloaders would be interested in an app that allows them to use their phone as a credit card," the Nielsen report added.

Separate data from comScore offers a different view. While the research firm notes there are currently approximately 100 million smartphone owners, that is only 41 percent of the existing mobile subscriber base.