Worldwide and in each country surveyed, the most-used combination of devices is to have a home computer, a smartphone, and no tablet. Having all three of these or only a smartphone are 2nd and 3rd and nearly equal. In Germany and China, using only a smartphone is ranked a distant 3rd. Conversely, in Japan, using all three is a distant 3rd. There is no significant difference by age group. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0125_comb] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets
Smartphone hours exceed computer hours in most countries
Adults spend more time using smartphones than computers in most countries surveyed. Online Americans use their smartphones for 5.1 billion hours per week and computers – at home, work, school, or others – for 4.5 billion hours per week. In Germany, online adults use their smartphones, computers, and tablets for a total of 2.8 billion weekly hours, half of which are while using computers.
This MetaFAQs reports on the billions of weekly hours adults use their smartphones, computers, and tablets in the US, UK, Germany, Japan, and China. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0123_hour] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets; Activities
Family size influences connected device use
In larger households, adults tend to spend more time on digital devices compared to those in smaller households. Adults in larger households use their connected devices more hours per week than those in smaller households. This pattern holds among online Americans, Britons, Japanese, and Chinese. Among German adults, the pattern is bimodal, with usage highest among German adults with 3 persons in their household.
This MetaFAQs reports on the average (mean) weekly hours online adults use their connected devices (computers, smartphones, tablets) during a week. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0119_busy] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets; User Profile; Households
Early generations cling to Android tablets
The tablet market has been dominated by Apple’s iPads and a hodgepodge of Google Android tablets. There is a strong positive association between a user’s smartphone operating system and that of their tablets. Google Android tablets have their strongest share among German adults, especially those in earlier generations. Gen Z adults seem to have little appetite for Google Android tablets, even within Germany.
This MetaFAQ reports on the percentage of adult tablet users using a Google Android tablet, split by country and age generation. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0108_andt] in TUP Lenses: Tablets
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
iPad penetration softens with few exceptions
Even as overall iPad usage penetration rates are collapsing worldwide, certain generational groups in some countries show renewed or persistent interest.
In the UK, the most tech-experienced generation – Boomers/Silent – have the highest iPad penetration rates of any generation, and higher than in years past. Also, the rate is higher than this generation in other countries surveyed.
Even Android-dominated Germany is showing a bright spot, although only among the generation with the least technology experience yet the highest exuberance, Gen Z. This group had expressed slightly higher usage before the pandemic, only to decline sharply following the onset. This group is one to watch since it may foretell some weakness for Android, which could telegraph possible switching behavior among this highly-sought generation.
The TUP data reports on the penetration of iPad users, segmented by country and age generations. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1213_ipat] in TUP Lenses: Tablets, User Profile
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
Android tablets are strongest among younger adults even as iPads lead
Apple iPads dominate the market for tablets, with a higher penetration than Android tablets among online adults around the world. Among millennials and Gen Xers, however, Android tablets have their strongest foothold, especially in the US. Among online Germans, Android tablet users outnumber iPad users among millennials, Gen Xers, and Boomers, and the reverse is true among Gen Z adults.
This MetaFAQs reports on the number and percentage of online tablet users by operating system family, country, and age generation in the US, UK, Germany, Japan, and China. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1103_andp] in TUP Lenses: Tablets