Text messaging slightly less popular

For what looks to be the first time, its estimated that the average American is sending fewer text messages than in the past. It’s only a small drop though, and is likely the result of alternative cellphone messaging services.

Chetan Sharma Consulting reports that the average US mobile user sent and 678 text messages each month between July and September this year. That’s down from 696 a month between April and June. (Bearing in mind that’s around 20 messages a day, there must be some people out there who are really dragging the average up.)

The pattern shouldn’t come as a complete shock as it mirrors a pattern in Europe and Asia where texting seems to have already passed its peak. Although phones certainly aren’t losing popularity, the growth of smartphones means users now have more options to send messages via services such as iChat and BBM that use cellular or Wi-Fi connections but don’t count towards SMS text message limits. It’s also possible that people are simply using their phone to send e-mails or post on social networks rather than sending texts, particularly when trying to keep multiple people updated.

The reports also predicts that while customers will continue to use more Internet data on their phones, the rate of growth will slow slightly. While on average it has doubled for each of the past five years, it should “only” grow by 80 percent this year, even as an increasing number of people get smartphones. (The firm says more than 75 percent of new handsets sold between July and September were smartphones.)

The slight slowdown in data increase is most likely the result of major operators pulling the plug on unlimited data deals, making people more likely to actively restrict their data use. Still, the report predicts that demand will mean providers start offering data plans with higher monthly limits — for a higher monthly fee of course. With data fees now making up 43 percent of network revenues, that could mean it officially becomes the biggest cash cow for the industry some time next year.