Awesome and shiny new technology is not enough to gain rapid, active, or sustained market acceptance. Even widely touted technological phenoms are not guaranteed to be as widely accepted, as we’ve seen with smart homes, smart speakers, 3D printers, IoT, and others. Also, even broad initial acceptance does not translate into engaged or sustained use. Gauging consumer sentiment is one measure of generative AI’s challenges and opportunities ahead, especially by comparing the views of those with hands-on experience to those waiting or avoiding.
Approach: This TUPdate is based on the attitudes of 12,032 online adults in the US, Germany, the UK, and Japan, selected and weighted to be representative of the online population. As part of the TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 wave, MetaFacts included questions about consumers’ attitudes and expectations of generative AI tools. The survey measured attitudes around the benefits active AI users are enjoying, hopes for the future, privacy concerns, usefulness, and hardware limits. We defined active AI use as a combination of regular activities involving AI tools, specific services like ChatGPT and Copilot, or a Copilot+ PC.
Home PC pricing trends by generation
Background: Starting before the pandemic and subsequent economic shifts, online adults worldwide were adjusting which devices they use, with fewer using home computers. However, many employees working remotely were not provided a computer by their employer and sought to acquire one for their home. Also during this time period, adults were transitioning many of their regular activities from home computers to smartphones. This causes erratic effects to home PC prices, interrupting historical trends.
Approach: MetaFacts surveyed 60,872 online adults in the US, Germany, UK, and Japan from 2020 through 2024 as part of its annual TUP/Technology User Profile study. Within the survey, as part of detailing the home computers that respondents actively use, we gathered the price paid for any acquired as new in the previous 18 months. All prices were converted to US dollars for comparison, grouped into price ranges, and then reported by country and age generation.
The continued decline of widespread personal computer use
Market penetration is one of the core overall measures affecting all manner of technology companies: hardware, software, services, and support. The key device types measured in this analysis are the active use of a home computer, an employer-provided “work” computer, or any other computer, such as one supplied by a university or in a library, cybercafé, or owned by a friend or neighbor. The primary measure reported in this TUPdate is the percentage of online adults in the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, or China actively using any of these computers.
Approach: This TUPdate is based on the surveys of 82,101 respondents in the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, and China from 2019 through 2024. In the TUP/Technology User Profile questionnaire, we asked respondents to identify the active installed base of connected devices they use – smartphones, feature phones, computers, tablets, and game consoles. In addition, we had them specify the source of funds for the computers they use – home, work (employer-provided), or other (public, school, library, cybercafe, friend, etc.)
The shock undermining monoculture or ecosystem dominance
The recent cybersecurity event involving Microsoft and Crowdstrike garnered much attention. It also renewed concern among consumers who may worry their Windows devices will be next to fail.
This TUPdate double-clicks on the devices people use in addition to a single computer, smartphone, or tablet. It splits out the share of online adults around the world (in the US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China) who use a computer, Windows 11 PC, Windows 10 or earlier PC, or Apple computer by the percentage of those who use other devices such as iPhones or Android tablets. It splits out the share of smartphone, iPhone, and Android smartphone users who use computers with Windows 11, 10, or earlier versions, Apple computers, iPads, or Android tablets. It also reports the multi-year shift in how many devices people use regularly. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0723_mono] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets; Technology Ecosystems
Gen Z and Millennials continue trend as most substantial consumers of print services
People find ways to get documents printed even if they don’t have access to a printer at home or in their workplace. Print services at retail outlets have been joined by online services as being one alternative. However, these services have only reached a small percentage of adults. Later generations have been the main ones to use these print services, even continuing after an early pandemic surge.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults who regularly use a print service: a self-serve store kiosk, retail printing outlet, and online printing service. The results are split by age generation and country: US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0329_sert] in TUP Lenses: Printers; User Profile
Printer usage declines among most countries and generations with Gen Z unlikely to restart
In most countries surveyed, Gen Z began adulthood actively including printers among their technological devices. As they have matured, however, their printer usage has dropped at similar rates to millennials and Gen X. Adults in Germany have maintained the highest printer penetration rates among the countries surveyed, and those in the UK are the lowest.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults actively using at least one printer. This information is split by country (US, Germany, UK, Japan, China) and age generation (Gen Z, millennial, Gen X, Boomer/Silent Generation). Report [TUP_doc_2024_0328_prtt] in TUP Lenses: Printers; User Profile
Gen Z adults and millennials continue expanding smartphone usage
Smartphone usage continues to rise, as evidenced by the hours they are regularly used. Later generations are the most intensive smartphone users, increasingly incorporating the devices into their daily lives. While Gen X has been expanding its use, this later generation still trails millennials and Gen Z adults across all countries surveyed.
This MetaFAQs reports on the average (mean) hours per week adults use smartphones, split by age generation and country. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0326_hout] in TUP Lenses: Devices; Mobile Phones; User Profile
US persists in having fewer employed online adults
The workforce has shifted strongly following the onset of the pandemic, affected by remote working, seesawing employer and national responses, and economic reverberations. In the US, there has been a persistent and noticeable shift from full-time or part-time employment to self-employed or gig working. Among the countries surveyed, Germany has the smallest share of online adults in the labor force.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults employed (full-time or part-time) and those in the labor force (employed, self-employed, or currently unemployed). The data from 2017 through 2023 is split by country: US, Germany, UK, and Japan. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0324_empt] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Households
Younger, not youngest, adults continue with most device hours
Before the pandemic, adults worldwide started spending less time with connected devices. Americans, Germans, Britons, and Japanese have continued that downward trend. In particular, younger adults (aged 18 to 24) have lowered their usage the most, dropping by 16% in the UK and 15% in Japan. Older adults (aged 50 and up) have also reduced usage, leaving only the adults aged 25 to 49 showing a few growth spots and otherwise cutting back.
This MetaFAQs reports the average (mean) weekly hours adults use their connected devices – smartphones, computers, and tablets – split by country and age group. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0319_yhrt] in TUP Lenses: Devices; User Profile
Younger workers extend remote working trend
The early pandemic shift to working remotely remains an expectation among workers across more than one developed country. Over the last three years, most workers in nearly every country surveyed expect to continue working remotely. The age gap is widening, with the highest share of remote work expectations among younger workers.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online workers across the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, and China who expect to work remotely one year in the future, split by those aged 18 to 39 and those aged 40 and above. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0318_owft] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Work/Life Balance