Girls are also more likely than boys to own MP3 players and laptop computers, The Telegraph reported.
Boys are more likely to own desktop computers, however.
"Where there is a difference, it's because boys tend to go for the big ticket items," said Samuel Gee, a technology analyst at Mintel.
He said that girls were more likely to use smartphones than boys because girls tended to be drawn to gadgets that promote communication and collaboration, while boys prefer entertainment devices.
Just 14 per cent of children aged between seven and 15 said that they never use a smartphone, the research found, though younger children were less likely to use them.