Affluent Mexican consumers are more likely to utilize the digital lifestyle, notably the smartphone market.

According to a study titled "Mexico Affluents: How Higher Income Consumers Spend Time and Money Online," by eMarketer, consumers in Mexico's top socioeconomic categories -- labeled as AB and C+ -- represent 21 percent of the country's population. The top socioeconomic Mexican consumers have an "outsize presence" in digital life.

Of the affluent population, smartphones are very popular and "predictably" owned by Mexicans. An October 2013 study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau México (IAB México) and Millward Brown concluded 26 percent of the smartphone market share were represented by affluent mobile users.

The Competitive Intelligence Unit (CIU) revealed the gap between the general population and affluent Mexicans when it comes to mobile devices and services. The CIU noted the affluent population reached 111.2 percent of mobile connections while the general public represented 86.9 percent. Affluents were also responsible for 60.4 percent of the smartphone usage surveyed for the CIU report while 27.1 percent was recorded for the general population. When it comes to mobile broadband service, the affluent population also led the charge with 26.6 percent reach while the general public accounted for 13.5 percent.

Finally, tablet usage was very narrow between the general public and affluent. The affluent population reached 9.6 percent while the general public has garnered for 5 percentage points. The tablet market share in Mexico has been considered in the "very early" adoption stages. Despite the considerably slow tablet adoption rates in Mexico, the country is still considered to be in "range" with the emerging economies of overall tablet adoption.

"Such share in the mobile landscape is hardly surprising if one considers that, according to a July 2013 study of affluents conducted by Ipsos in the three largest metropolitan areas of the country, 91.1 [percent] of affluents used smartphones last year, outpacing the regional average of 81.0 [percent]," noted eMarketer.

As Latin Post reported, mobile phone usage is not as common in Mexico compared to other major Latin American countries. Smartphone penetration in Mexico, however, is considered "high." Smartphone usage in Mexico more than doubled in 2012. In 2013, it grew almost 50 percent again. As a result, eMarketer projected 6.1 million people will be added to Mexico's smartphone owners population. With the projection, Mexico could see approximately 33.3 million smartphone users, which is more than one-quarter of the country's population. According to Mexico's National Population Council, the country has 118.4 million inhabitants.

According to Latin Link, Mexico leads the Latin American smartphone penetration, Brazil is next at 23 percent, followed by Argentina's 20 percent, Chile's 19 percent, and Peru's 17 percent.

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