What’s new from MetaFacts TUP/Technology User Profile

What’s next!

This is what we are working on now for you. Stay tuned for upcoming releases!

TUP 2024 wave results released!

We’ve launching the 42nd annual wave of TUP/Technology User Profile! One big question we have heard is about solid numbers around the actual adoption of AI by end users. The TUP 2024 questionnaire included questions about the use cases where consumers and employees got assistance from an AI tool, along with specific details on the Copilot+ PCs launched by Microsoft, HP, Dell, Samsung, and others. This is in addition to the many types of activities TUP has tracked for years, all of which merged the sociodemographic and technographic profile of each respondent.

Check out the Recent Findings page to see the latest results.

Below are a few selected highlights of research released or in progress. Subscribers who would like early access to the results, please contact MetaFacts. Non-subscribers who would like to be alerted when we offer a public release, please join our newsletter list.

  • Smartphone purchase plans point to growth and are a welcome sign, although iPhone users in China seem jittery [PLANxCOUNTRY]
  • Home computer penetration continues its long-term decline, even as work computers remained relatively stable through the pandemic [DEV_KEYxCOUNTRY]
  • Consumers express mixed attitudes about AI, with enthusiasm about learning & productivity overcoming privacy concerns and disappointment in AI’s results [ATTIxAGEGEN]
  • Use cases for employees exploring AI are primarily turning to search, creative software, presentations, and programming [AI_ACTxEMPSIZE]
  • Some of the earliest adopting employees testing AI activities are in executive, HR, marketing, and programming roles. [AI_ACTxEMPROLE]
  • Among the general online public, positive attitudes about AI only slightly lead negative sentiment. Learning new things, productivity, and creativity is attracting consumers while privacy concerns, disappointment with AI’s results, and getting too many wrong answers is dissuading many. [ATTIxAGEGEN]
  • Communication activities continue to evolve. The solid standbys Email, phone calls, and text message are the most widespread and nearly equal. Video calls have grown into the majority while video meetings such as with Zoom have subsided. [COMM_ACTxCOUNTRY]
  • X/Twitter has clawed back part of its audience from a deep dip one year ago and Truth Social now has a (barely) measurable following with a Nextdoor or cable TV demographic [SNSITESxAGEGEN]
  • AI is looking like the adoption of smart speakers, unlike PCs or smartphones. In some sense, it’s like 5G or Wi-Fi, present but only dimly valued or understood by consumers [AI_ACTSxAGEGEN]
  • Every generation of Americans now use their smartphones for more hours than they use computers or tablets, except for Boomers. Millennials spend more time than Gen Z. [USAGExAGEGEN]
  • The number of home PCs in active use continues to decline among Americans. Boomers have hung on the longest. [USAGExAGEGEN] [trend this]
  • Gen Z Americans haven’t embraced home computers the way previous generations did. [USAGExAGEGEN]
  • American Millennials have the highest share using a work computer, although Gen X are close [USAGExAGEGEN]
  • Nearly one-fourth of employed Americans have never worked from home and don’t expect to ever do so. American millennials have the most members in this group. [WFHxAGEGEN]
  • More American employees work from home than don’t every work from home. Gen Z have the smallest share who never work from home, although the difference is narrow.  [WFHxAGEGEN]

TUP 2023 wave results

The newest TUP/Technology User Profile wave was released in September 2023. This is the 41st continuous wave!

Recent analysis released

Highlights from TUP 2023 results
Technology replacement rates and the economy
Longer-term product trends
Longer-term user trends
Longer-term device trends
Longer-term device activity trends
Product and brand specifics
Long-term trends and profiles for:
– Smartphones
– Computers vis-à-vis smartphones
– Home-owned devices
Pre-pandemic to present trends and profiles for:
– Home entertainment activities
– Shopping activities
– Communication activities
– Major activities for each device type (computers, smartphones, tablets)
– Major activities for a market sub-group

Brief summary of findings from TUP 2022 and earlier

Topline brief

Many of the market shifts we are seeing in the TUP results are driving more by socioeconomics than by technology itself. The division between the digital have-nots and haves had been diffusing over the last decade with the widening adoption of technology products and services across nearly every market sector. While most of the initial divide of technology adoption in the 1980’s through the 2000’s was driven by literacy, the last decade has been increasing been impacted by buyer’s ability to pay for technology. Even before the pandemic, economic pressures were driving many lower socioeconomic groups to use less expensive and fewer devices. Meanwhile, upper socioeconomic groups continued to broaden their collection of actively-used devices.

PCs and printers are suffering from a long-term collapse as most segments of users lose interest, focus their usage, and minimize their device collection. User demand has continued its decline. The pandemic acted as a temporary boost to many sectors, primarily as the subset of adults who could work from home scrambled to adapt or bolster their home technology to get work done. Realities and perceptions of the economy’s shift have compelled users and organizations to delay purchases of many technology products. Much of the PC and printer market appears to be returning toward the longer-term trend of reduced usage and deferred replacement.

While smartphones have continued to grow in favor as most users’ preferred device, they haven’t been a complete replacement for computers. Users have adapted by spending less time and doing less overall with their devices. Tablets, while well-known, have not found a solid home even as most users’ third device, much less as a computer replacement.

There are some segments that are defying the overall trends. In particular, upper socioeconomic groups have continued to expand their use of newer technology, from smart homes to updated home entertainment, and larger collections of home computers.

TUP addresses fundamental questions from pre-pandemic (TUP 2019 and earlier) through the current time (TUP 2022)

Working from home

Shifts in how connected devices are being used

Device use

  • How prevalent are computers as the primary type of device for major types of activities? How prevalent are tablets as the primary type of device for major types of activities? How has the mix of devices shifted by type of activity?

Trends in communication activities

  • What are the major communication activities using any of the user’s connected devices? Which activities (e.g. work video meetings a’la Zoom) have dropped to before-pandemic levels? Which type of device is used for the most communication activities?

Technology ecosystems

Technology brands

  • How have brand footprints shifted? What is the profile of HP’s PC customers? What is the profile of Dell’s customers? What is the profile of Samsung’s customers? What is the size and profile of Apple’s customers – for their iPhones, Macs, iPads, and other offerings?

Shifts within key market segments

  • How has tech use changed for key segments? How has tech use changed for employees? How has tech use changed for college students? How has tech use changed for parents? How has tech use changed for seniors? How has tech use changed for Baby Boomers? How has tech use changed for Generation Z?

Purchase plans

  • Which technology are Americans planning to purchase? Which technology are remote workers planning to purchase? Which technology are new remote workers planning to purchase? How have purchases plans changed over the last year, and which groups have any purchase plans and which groups are delaying or withdrawing?

Paused or poised tech

  • VR Headsets are in the news with Meta tripling the price of theirs. Current market penetration for any VR Headset remains at 5% and is strongest among 25-34-year-old male Americans, having lost share among the 35-44-year-old males. These demographic groups are Facebook’s weakest and not so strong for Instagram either.
  • Foldable smartphones – the ones with one screen that can fold in the middle – are barely registering. The strongest blip is for Huawei foldables among tech-enthusiastic upper-sociodemographic online adults in China.

For more details, see the Recent Findings page for the most-recent list of analyses: MetaFAQs, TUPdates, and Highlights.

Monthly updates to offerings and releases from MetaFacts.

August 2023

TUP 2023 is in the field! This is the identical fielding schedule as in 2022, 2021, and earlier waves. We will begin releasing results at the end of September or early October. This will be the 42nd continuous wave!

June 2023

Countries: The final slate of countries in the TUP 2023 wave will include: US, UK, Germany, Japan, and China. The target sample size will be between 13,000 and 14,000 respondents. Our target field dates are from August 11th through August 31st, 2023.

December 2022

We are preparing a series of socioeconomic analyses to detail how major products have been accepted (or not) in the marketplace. These include trends from pre-pandemic times to the present, from TUP 2018 through 2022. Many home-oriented products also include purchase plans.

The socioeconomic groups focus in on Americans who have been traditionally disadvantaged or advantaged, such as those with lower or upper income, higher or lesser educational attainment, racial/ethnic groups, employment status, and other factors. Further, these detail market penetration by generation, age group, life stage, and age group within employment status.

Here are some of the products:

  • iPhones
  • Android smartphones
  • Home homebooks/laptops
  • Feature phones
  • Home Windows PCs
  • Home Apple computers
  • Home tablets
  • Home printers
  • Home desktop computers
  • Home tower desktop computers
  • Home computers
  • Home gaming desktops
  • Home gaming notebooks/laptops
  • Apple notebooks/laptops
  • Apple Watch
  • Smartwatches
  • Apple computers
  • Windows notebooks/laptops
  • Printers
  • Smartphones

November 2022

Scheduled maintenance alert! – On Monday November 14th from 11pm PST through Tuesday November 15th 4am PST, this site will be down for scheduled maintenance. We are increasing faster access speeds, advanced network switches, and increased reliability. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience. Please contact us if you expect to need to access this site during that time.

October 2022

We have fully released all of the TUP/Technology User Profile 2022 tables!

While most of our clients dive directly into the data and tables, we also offer our analysis. At present, we are analyzing the results, beginning by addressing the following questions. Many of these questions have been growing in importance for years, so we have earlier analysis and data available to provide a trend analysis and solid background on the changes in the market.

September 2022

The TUP 2022 wave results are being released! We’re thrilled with the responses and are continuing to analyze the results. We have delivered the complete set of TUP 2022 tables on schedule – before the end of September 2022. These have been delivered directly to current TUP 2022 subscribers.

Your subscription to TUP/Technology User Profile has expired. You may continue to access the results your organization formerly subscribed to – TUP 2021 and several previous waves. To renew your subscription, please contact MetaFacts.

September 2020

The TUP/Technology User Profile 2020 tables have been released! With TUP 2020, these have been fully reorganized for your convenience.

  • We have grouped standard published tables into 15 topical TUP Lenses to help have the most relevant information within the same worksheets. Each of these have 9 banners, such as by age, household size, or employer size. Here’s more details on the TUP Lenses.
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