Voice commands preceded the hype of AI with the promise that technology users would be able to get things done with their voices. Market reception was robust initially, then sagged, and has since returned to moderate levels among certain age groups. A skew toward higher market penetration among younger adults is apparent in the US and UK but less in Germany and China.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults who use a voice assistant through their primary connected device – a smartphone, computer, tablet, or game console, divided by age group and country. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0113_yvoi] in TUP Lenses: Mobile Phones; Consumer Electronics; User Profile; Activities; Technology Ecosystems; Wearables, Hearables, Listening, and Speaking
Used and refurbished computer market health and youth
The market for used or refurbished computers is healthy, steady, and widespread. It is a common and ongoing practice among adults in the US, Germany, UK, and Japan. There is a youthful skew, especially among younger Americans.
This MetaFAQ reports on the percentage of home PCs acquired as used or refurbished, split by country and user age group.
Apple Grows as 1st Device, Especially Among Gen Z
Apple cannot claim to be the dominant primary device of adults in the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, or China. However, among Gen X adults, Apple has the clear majority, and the percentage using an iOS, iPadOS, or MacOS device has been growing. Other generational age groups – millennials, Gen X, and the Boomer/Silent generations – have also increased their share primarily using an Apple OS device.
This MetaFAQ reports on the percentage of online adults using an Apple OS device – an iPhone with iOS, an iPad with iPadOS, or an Apple computer with MacOS – split by country and generational age group. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1225_gent] in TUP Lenses: PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets; User Profile; Technology Ecosystems
iPhones are strongest among younger adults in most countries
Apple’s continued emphasis on a youthful market continues to bear fruit. The highest penetration of Apple iPhones is among adults aged 18 to 24 across all countries surveyed. This is especially notable in Germany, where Google Android phones have dominated the market for many years. Conversely, iPhones have much lower penetration rates among adults aged 50 and up, except in the US, where rates among older adults are only somewhat lower than average.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults using an Apple iPhone split by age group and country. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1217_ipho] in TUP Lenses: Mobile Phones; User Profile; Technology Ecosystems
UK tech buyers boost buying while China’s elites hang on
The global landscape has witnessed significant shifts in consumer purchasing behavior due to the impact of the pandemic and broader economic changes. This transformation extends to acquiring tech products such as smartphones, computers, tablets, and game consoles. With the rapid transition to remote work, many individuals proactively invested in personal computing devices to enhance their productivity rather than relying on their employers for equipment provision.
Conversely, individuals facing reduced working hours or economic uncertainty opted to postpone their tech purchases. On a global scale, the mean age of a technology user’s primary device has exhibited relative stability, averaging between 1.9 and 2.1 years old over the past five years. However, a closer examination reveals notable variations across different countries.
The affluent and highly educated among China’s population has consistently maintained access to the latest tech devices. Nevertheless, a recent delay in 2023 has cast uncertainty on their leading position, potentially aligning them with the global average in the near future. In contrast, consumers in the UK, who amidst Brexit and the pandemic deferred tech device purchases, have demonstrated a two-year consecutive uptick in acquisitions. Consequently, their average device age now ranks second among surveyed countries.
Meanwhile, online adults in Germany and Japan have displayed a penchant for holding onto their primary devices longer compared to their international counterparts. These nuanced trends offer valuable insights for technology marketers, researchers, analysts, and industry professionals seeking to navigate evolving consumer preferences and market dynamics.
This MetaFAQs reports on the mean age of the respondent’s primary device – a smartphone, computer, tablet, or game console – by country from 2018 through 2023. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1207_yeat] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets
Nearly three of four Gen Z Americans use at least one Apple device
Apple has expanded into the two latest generations of online adults around the world. In every country surveyed, more than half of online adults are regularly using at least one major Apple product: an iPhone, an iPad, or a Mac. Among the earlier generations with millennials and Boomer/Silent adults, global penetration is 40%, and in the US it nears 50%.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults by age generation and country who are using one or more Apple devices – a smartphone, tablet, or computer. It also details how many Apple devices each age generation is using. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1207_appl] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets; User Profile; Technology Ecosystems
Stronger tech buying plans among remote workers
Stronger tech buying plans among remote workers – Workers working from home have substantially stronger purchase plans than workers who never work from home. To be able to work effectively, they need sufficient technology to enable communication, collaboration, comfort, and computing. Based on their recent survey responses, their technology needs are not fully satisfied.
This MetaFAQs reports on the purchase plans for computers, tablets, printers, consumer electronics, and other technology products, contrasting workers who work from home versus those who do not by country. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1129_plan] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets; Consumer Electronics; Printers; Work/Life Balance
Half of Americans use a smartphone for work
Half of Americans use a smartphone for work – Over half of online American adults utilize smartphones for various work tasks, from emails to videoconferencing. One in six American workers relies solely on a smartphone. Another quarter have all three: a smartphone, computer and tablet, and 80% of these rely on smartphones for work activities. Interestingly, half lack employer-provided computers.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults regularly using a smartphone for work-related activities. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1125_spwr] in TUP Lenses: Mobile Phones; Activities; Communication; Work/Life Balance
Smartphone replacement sooner in the US, UK, and China, especially among later generations
Smartphone replacement sooner in the US, UK, and China, especially among later generations – Keeping smartphones fresh and new is the current practice of most online adults throughout the US, UK, and China. Half or more of the online adults in these countries acquired a smartphone within the last 18 months. Online adults in Germany and Japan, however, are keeping their smartphones longer. In these countries, nearer to three in eight online adults have phones this new. Typical German and Japanese cultural values encourage people to keep many consumer products until they are no longer functional instead of replacing them simply because there are newer ones available. Ecological and economic concerns also contribute to keeping electronics longer than average, as well as country-specific carrier agreements.
This MetaFAQs reports when smartphone users acquired their smartphone by age generation and country. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1113_spne] in TUP Lenses: Mobile Phones; User Profile
Youth versus experience: the new/used computer divide
Employers are saddling younger adults with used/refurbished computers. Over one-third of American adults aged 18 to 24 actively using an employer-provided PC are using one previously used by someone else. In the UK, that rate among younger adults is nearly as high. Older adults don’t have as high a rate.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of PC users actively using a used/refurbished computer by computer ownership and age group within the US, UK, Germany, Japan, and China. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1101_used] in TUP Lenses: PCs; Mobile Phones; User Profile