Report: One-third of iPhone users have a model that's more than 2 years old

One-third of iPhone users in the U.S. have a model that's more than two years old, according to new data from Parks Associates, and 30 percent of Samsung users' phones are at least that old. Meanwhile, the smartphone penetration rate among U.S. broadband households is 86 percent, topping penetration rates in the U.K. (76 percent), France (78 percent) and Germany (82 percent).

As the U.S. smartphone market reaches the saturation point, carriers are increasingly turning to hardware promotions not just to lure new customers but also to encourage existing users to upgrade their devices more frequently. So while January and February have typically been relatively slow marketing months for operators, this year we're seeing the extension of some of the promotions that were launched during the all-important holiday season. AT&T is the latest example, announcing today a two-for-one deal on the iPhone for both new and existing customers. Expect to see more of that throughout 2016 as operators work to ramp up service revenues. Report