MetaFacts periodically releases research findings that are highlighted in a newsletter. These are primarily based on our ongoing TUP/Technology User Profile study research. Each issue includes highlights from MetaFAQs – addressing a specific current or frequently-asked question, TUPdates – drilling down more deeply to cover a topic in more detail, the even more comprehensive TUP Profile reports, and other deliverables.
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- Current enterprise subscribers are also granted access to the supporting tables and charts.
Recent MetaFAQs, TUPdates, and Highlights
- Skype call forwarding its active baseBackground: Online adults have increasingly relied on a range of connected devices to stay in touch, expanding well beyond voice calls on landline phones to voice, text, chat, and video meetings. Microsoft has been involved in part with its Skype services which have evolved over time to encompass more than voice. However, most of Skype’s growth occurred before Microsoft acquired it, and since then the service has morphed into several offerings, resulting in current plans to migrate Skype users into their Microsoft Teams service. Skype has managed to maintain a moderately sized base despite the ubiquitous rise of the smartphone, essentially free calls, and an explosion of messaging apps. Approach: This one-time TUP data cut profiles active users of Skype, Microsoft Teams, both services, and neither. Along with user demographics and details about how they use their technology, these statistics reveal how Skype users differ from the general online public, although with their market size in millions of adults in the US, Germany, the UK, and Japan. The TUP data cut features a set of standardized cross-tabulations from TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 in Excel format.
- Number of printer users using refilled ink or toner by country and generationBackground: Printer users have various options to refresh their printing supplies, from buying new cartridges, using refilling services, or refilling a tank or cartridge themselves. As printer users continue to evolve in how they use printers, their choice of printing supplies is likely to evolve and essential to monitor. Approach: MetaFacts surveyed 81,608 online adults in the US, Germany, UK, and Japan from 2018 through 2024 as part of its annual TUP/Technology User Profile study. Within the survey, as part of detailing the printers that respondents regularly use, we have them report on how they get ink or toner for their printers. This includes whether the ink or toner is original to the same brand as the printer, original to a different brand, refilled using their empties, refilled using someone else’s empties, or refilled by the printer users themselves.
- Aging ASUS work computers due for a refreshBackground: ASUS made its name on well-crafted yet lower-priced computers. This continues its appeal to budget-conscious employers. In the mad dash to support remote workers with adequate technology, at least among those employers who deigned to do so, a higher-than-average share turned to brands such as ASUS. With Microsoft Windows 10 support expiring, many of the ASUS computers in the installed base will need refreshing soon. However, with the prospect of higher costs spurred by challenges brought on by US tariffs, likely supply chain challenges, and general economic disruptions, employers are at a crossroads with their technology investments. Remote work patterns have remained generally unchanged since the first year of Covid lockdowns, and the expectation is that they will continue for most employers. This makes the ASUS base worthy of consideration since many will be due for replacements. Approach: This one-time TUP data cut profiles active employed computer users by those using ASUS versus users of any other work computer brand. We profile the age of computers in active use, a comprehensive demographic profile of current customers and usage levels in hours and breadth of activities. MetaFacts further identifies the activities conducted most often, including remote work status. Furthermore, we profile the AI attitudes and behaviors of ASUS and non-ASUS work computer users. These results are based on the MetaFacts TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 datasets. Of these, 2,340 respondents represent employed online adults in the US, Germany, the UK, and Japan who actively use a work/employer-provided computer. The TUP data cut features a set of standardized cross-tabulations from TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 in Excel format. It also includes a topline summary.
- Lenovo work computer users-a stable if unexcited groupBackground: Lenovo continues to champion the well-established ThinkPad brand of mobile computers, maintaining its reach into both commercial and consumer markets. Many employees, especially information workers, continue working remotely, and a robust share of employers have supported them with work notebooks. And, Lenovo has managed to attract a unique set of users and employers. However, as Lenovo and its competitors seek to advance their offerings and delight employees – and the decision-makers who choose which computer brands and models to outfit employees with – they face the challenge that comes with a less-involved workforce. Approach: This one-time TUP data cut profiles active employed computer users by those using Lenovo versus users of any other work computer brand. We profile the age of computers in active use, a comprehensive demographic profile of current customers and usage levels in hours and breadth of activities. MetaFacts further identifies the activities conducted most often, including remote work status. Furthermore, we profile the AI attitudes and behaviors of Lenovo and non-Lenovo work computer users. These results are based on the MetaFacts TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 datasets. Of these, 2,340 respondents represent employed online adults in the US, Germany, the UK, and Japan who actively use a work/employer-provided computer. The TUP data cut features a set of standardized cross-tabulations from TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 in Excel format. It also includes a topline summary.
- Apple work computer users at a crossroadsBackground: Apple has continued to remain an underdog within the commercial computer market, with a consistently lower market share than Windows-based computers. With Apple’s growing emphasis on its own silicon and other technical innovations from displays to operating system integration, Apple has managed to maintain loyalty among employees as well as commercial IT/IS decision-makers. The looming prospect of Microsoft withdrawing support from Windows 10, the chance to leverage AI and ML using Apple’s silicon, and to tap into the continued expansion of Apple’s footprint with its many consumer products and services presents opportunities for Apple to expand its reach into the hands of employees. However, with the prospect of higher costs spurred by challenges brought on by US tariff uncertainty, likely supply chain challenges, and general economic disruptions, employers are at a crossroads with their technology investments. Remote work patterns have remained generally unchanged since the first year of Covid lockdowns, and the expectation is that they will continue for most employers. Approach: This one-time TUP data cut profiles active employed computer users by those using Apple computers versus users of any other work computer brand. We profile the age of computers in active use, a comprehensive demographic profile of current customers and usage levels in hours and breadth of activities. MetaFacts further identifies the activities conducted most often, including remote work status. Furthermore, we profile the AI attitudes and behaviors of Apple and non-Apple work computer users. These results are based on the MetaFacts TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 datasets. Of these, 2,340 respondents represent employed online adults in the US, Germany, the UK, and Japan who actively use a work/employer-provided computer. The TUP data cut features a set of standardized cross-tabulations from TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 in Excel format. It also includes a topline summary.
- Dell’s moribund home computer baseBackground: Home computers are not being used by the same people or in the same way as they were a few years ago. Economic shifts exacerbated by the pandemic, digital transformation, and smartphones’ ubiquity have challenged the traditional order. While the installed base of home computers continues to be dominated by a few manufacturers, including Dell, each brand’s users have a different profile than before. Approach: This one-time TUP data cut profiles active home computer users: both those who use Dell home computers and those who use non-Dell home computers. Starting with those who intend to refresh their PCs within specific time frames, we profile the age of PCs in active use, many other demographics, and usage levels in hours and activities. Additionally, we profile home computer users’ attitudes about AI and their use of AI tools for specific computer activities. MetaFacts further identifies the activities conducted most often, including remote work status. These results are based on the MetaFacts TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 datasets. Of these, 7,689 respondents represent online adults in the US, Germany, the UK, and Japan who actively use a home computer. The TUP data cut features a set of standardized cross-tabulations from TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 in Excel format. It also includes a topline summary.
- iPhone user base – broader and still somehow differentBackground: Apple is well known for being marketers, more so than simply being device makers. Their focus has helped them attract and retain a unique set of customers, historically earlier adopters and those of upper-socioeconomic standing. However, as Apple has continued to broaden its market to sustain growth, the “different” qualities of its active customer may diminish, causing their customer base to become less different than the average consumer. Approach: This one-time TUP data cut profiles smartphone users by those using an Apple iPhone versus users of any other smartphone. We provide a comprehensive demographic profile of current iPhone users’ usage levels in hours and breadth of activities. MetaFacts further identifies the activities conducted most often, including remote work status. Furthermore, we profile the AI attitudes and behaviors of iPhone and non-Apple smartphone users. The TUP data cut features a set of standardized cross-tabulations from TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 in Excel format. The results are drawn from 10,844 smartphone users across the US, Germany, the UK, and Japan. It also includes a topline summary.
- Lenovo’s leading edge – in home computingBackground: Lenovo continues to steward the well-established IBM ThinkPad brand of mobile computers, extending its reach into both commercial and consumer markets. However, the market for home notebooks/laptops has faced headwinds in recent years as consumers continue migrating their personal activities to smartphones. Also, since many employees, especially information workers, continue working remotely, many employers have supplied them with work notebooks. This has contributed to the decline of overall active home notebook use and caused challenges for Lenovo. Approach: This one-time TUP data cut profiles active home computer users by those using Lenovo versus users of any other home computer brand. Including users’ intentions to refresh their PCs within specific time frames, we profile the age of PCs in active use, a comprehensive demographic profile of current customers, and usage levels in hours and breadth of activities. MetaFacts further identifies the activities conducted most often, including remote work status. Furthermore, we profile the AI attitudes and behaviors of Lenovo and non-Lenovo home computer users. These results are based on the MetaFacts TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 datasets. Of these, 7,689 respondents represent online adults in the US, Germany, the UK, and Japan who actively use a home computer. The TUP data cut features a set of standardized cross-tabulations from TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 in Excel format. It also includes a topline summary.
- Brother home printer successes may lead to future challengesBackground: Printer users and printing shifted dramatically during the pandemic and ensuing economic changes. As many employees worked remotely for the first time, many struggled to establish a functional workspace at home, most often with little support from their employers. Students also adapted to many changes, with many shifting to virtual classrooms, including both adult and K-12 students. During this same time, the wave of digital transformation sped up, as employees and consumers alike found ways to product and share documents and information with less paper. During these broad shifts, printer manufacturers found ways to adapt and position their offerings to unique sets of customers, many times ousting their entrenched competitors. Approach: For this one-time TUP data cut, MetaFacts tapped into the TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 wave to profile the users of home printers, specifically those using Brother home printers. MetaFacts also includes detailed data on user’s attitudes about AI, how they use their printers, details on their printing volume, and the printer consumables they use. In addition, MetaFacts has included their printer purchase intentions for the next 12 months. The one-time TUP data cut features a set of standardized cross-tabulations from TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 in Excel format.
- Inertia and tradition defend Epson home printer installed baseBackground: Printer users and printing shifted dramatically during the pandemic and ensuing economic changes. As many employees worked remotely for the first time, many struggled to establish a functional workspace at home, most often with little support from their employers. Students also adapted to many changes, with many shifting to virtual classrooms, including both adult and K-12 students. During this same time, the wave of digital transformation sped up, as employees and consumers alike found ways to produce and share documents and information with less paper. During these broad shifts, printer manufacturers found ways to adapt and position their offerings to unique sets of customers, many times ousting their entrenched competitors. Approach: For this one-time TUP data cut, MetaFacts tapped into the TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 wave to profile the users of home printers, specifically those using Epson home printers. MetaFacts also includes detailed data on users’ attitudes about AI, how they use their printers, details on their printing volume, and the printer consumables they use. In addition, MetaFacts has included their printer purchase intentions for the next 12 months. The one-time TUP data cut features a set of standardized cross-tabulations from TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 in Excel format.
- Windows 10 PC users up for grabsBackground: Microsoft Windows 10 has marked the end of an era in many ways. As fewer online adults actively use computers, Microsoft and its OEM partners have felt increasing pressure to encourage users to use PCs again. Most Windows 10 users already use other devices to complete their online activities, from smartphones and tablets to a Windows 11 PC or Apple Macintosh. Microsoft has publicized an October 2025 end-of-support date, after which it will not support users of Windows 10 and earlier versions as it did in the past. However, the large and slow-moving active installed base makes it unlikely that all users will have fully migrated to Windows 11 by then. Instead, many users are likely to migrate elsewhere – to Apple Macintosh computers, smartphones, tablets, or Chromebooks. Current Windows 10 users include those who have already migrated their activities to smartphones, those who are economically constrained, and those not predisposed to buying a new PC. While most PC makers have joined Microsoft and others in touting AI and crafting AI-enhanced computers, early indications show a mixed reception. Approach: This one-time TUP data cut profiles the current users of Windows 10 and earlier Windows versions along several dimensions. Starting with intentions to refresh their PCs within specific time frames, we profile the age of PCs in active use, the brand share of the installed base, and usage levels in hours and activities. MetaFacts further identifies the activities done more often with PCs than smartphones and vice versa, including remote work, writing/presentations, entertainment, programming/coding, and printing. These results are based on the MetaFacts TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 datasets, with 13,561 respondents representing online adults in the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, and China. Additional trends from 2022 through 2024 are included based on data from 36,105 respondents in the US, Germany, the UK, and Japan reporting on the penetration rates and active market size of Windows 11 PCs, Windows 10 or earlier PCs, Apple Mac computers, and Chromebooks. The TUP data cut features a set of standardized cross-tabulations from TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 in Excel format. It also includes trending information and a topline summary.
- Home mobile computing in the balance, as users chooseBackground: Mobile computing has extended the lifetime of computer use, especially home computer use, over the last half decade. However, users are increasingly turning to their smartphones as their primary mobile device, using them for activities formerly done with home notebooks/laptops. During this same time, the pandemic and subsequent remote work bolstered home notebook/laptop purchases. Home notebook/laptop acquisition trends benefitted because many employers were reticent to provide mobile computers to employees. The usage of home notebooks/laptops has not been evenly distributed, with brands focusing on different market segments or use cases. More recently, the push toward AI-enhanced computers has met with mixed results. The next three years will be pivotal and depend substantially on consumers’ choices for their home technology. Approach: This one-time TUP data cut profiles active home notebook/laptop users by brand and other dimensions. Starting with intentions to refresh their PCs within specific time frames, we profile the age of PCs in active use, the brand share of the installed base, and usage levels in hours and activities. MetaFacts further identifies the activities done most often, including remote work status. These results are based on the MetaFacts TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 datasets, with 13,561 respondents representing online adults in the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, and China. Additional trends from 2018 through 2024 are included based on data from 84,608 respondents in the US, Germany, the UK, and Japan reporting on the penetration rates and active market size of home notebooks/laptops. The TUP data cut features a set of standardized cross-tabulations from TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 in Excel format. It also includes trending information and a topline summary.
- Gen Z gets the used/refurbished work PCs Background: Economic pressures on employers have encouraged many to carefully manage the computers they provide to employees. This includes some employees being provided used or refurbished computers. Approach: MetaFacts surveyed 81,608 online adults in the US, Germany, UK, and Japan from 2018 through 2024 as part of its annual TUP/Technology User Profile study. Within the survey, as part of detailing the multiple devices that respondents regularly use – smartphones, computers, tablets, and game consoles – we have them report on whether the employer-provided computers they use were obtained new or used/refurbished. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of adults who actively use a used or refurbished work computer and details the trend from 2018 to 2024 by country and age generation.
- Which generations and countries actively use used or refurbished smartphones at the highest rates?Background: Despite a continuous stream of new smartphones, used and refurbished smartphones continue to be actively used. With continued economic pressures in many countries, smartphone users, like users of other technology products, have sought to find ways to extend their technology spending. Approach: MetaFacts surveyed 81,608 online adults in the US, Germany, UK, and Japan from 2018 through 2024 as part of its annual TUP/Technology User Profile study. Within the survey, as part of detailing the multiple devices that respondents regularly use – smartphones, computers, tablets, and game consoles – we have them report on whether the smartphone they actively use was acquired new or used/refurbished. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of smartphone users who use a used or refurbished smartphone and details the trend from 2019 to 2024 by country and age generation.
- Profile of American wireless item tracker usersBackground: Wireless item trackers such as Apple AirTags or from Tile have reached beyond double-digit market penetration. For technology market leader Apple, the devices hold the promise of extending the depth of user engagement with and reliance on the Apple ecosystem. Location sharing is a double-edged sword, since it increases the risk of a privacy breach while simultaneously offering enhanced convenience. Approach: This MetaFAQs is based on the responses of 7,537 online adults from the MetaFacts TUP/Technology User Profile 2024 wave. It reports the percentage of online adults using an item tracking device such as an Apple AirTag or Tile. Respondents are profiled by age, gender, generational life phase, detailed employment status, presence of children, household size, use of Apple, Windows, and Android devices, and plans to acquire a wireless item tracker in the next 12 months.
- Profile of Copilot+ PC early adopters – their AI attitudes, use cases, activity trends, and profileBackground: Many major PC makers have recently launched AI Copilot+ PCs, enabling consumers and employees to make the most of many AI tools. The earliest brands include HP, Acer, ASUS, Lenovo, Microsoft, Dell, and Samsung, including Qualcomm technology. With so much promotional hype and confusion around AI, getting a reality check from users is essential. Are early adopters of Copilot+ PCs very different from users of non-Copilot+ Windows 11 PCs? Windows 10 PCs? Apple Macs? The general online public? Who are these newest buyers? Which types of use cases are the early adopters getting AI assistance with? How are their attitudes about AI different from the rest of the online world? Are they more positive, or are they more negative? What are their concerns? Privacy? Wrong answers? Are they underwhelmed? And how strongly are they concerned? What do they enjoy about using AI assistance? Creativity? Productivity? Learning new things? Why did they buy a Copilot+ PC? Approach: This research is based on a survey of 11,852 online adults in the US, Germany, UK, and Japan, drawn and weighted to be representative of the online population. From this dataset, MetaFacts screened and profiled 3,131 respondents who use AI assistance with their regular activities. These use cases most used with Copilot+ PCs include personal creativity, professional creative software for work purposes, creating videos for work purposes, writing, and using professional creative software for personal purposes. Furthermore, the study details more than 80 activities, the share that are regularly done, and the percentage that are done using AI tools.
- Employees expect remote work arrangements to endureBackground: How long will remote work continue? Will the hybrid arrangements persist, or will we be back to all or nothing? Working remotely suddenly expanded into the mainstream in early 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In each subsequent year, employees and employers have been adapting to shifting conditions, each wondering about the road ahead. The unknowns hold many implications, including the type of technology employees will use, buy, or that employers may provide to them. Approach: This MetaFAQs is based on the responses of 23,671 employees over three years from the MetaFacts TUP/Technology User Profile 2022 through 2024 waves, spanning the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, and China. It reports the percentage of online adults expecting to work remotely in the next 12 months—ranging from never, to occasionally, and up to always. This is further split by age group (18-39 and 40+) and global and US views. These results are drawn from the standard published TUP tables named 200 WFHxEMPAGE.
- Sustained interest in smartwatches, although generations differBackground: Wearables have extended the literal attachment many consumers maintain to their respective ecosystems. Smartwatches are more than a fashion accessory; they can act as a visible sign of one’s brand choice, much like white headphones or blue text messages. Watching the forward interest in watches is one key indicator of Apple’s future and that of its rivals. Approach: This MetaFAQs is based on the responses of 54,619 respondents over four years from the MetaFacts TUP/Technology User Profile 2021 through 2024 waves, spanning the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, and China. It reports the percentage of online adults planning to purchase wearables in the next twelve months, specifically an Apple Watch, an Android Smartwatch, some other smartwatch, or a fitness tracker. This is further split by generations for global and US views. These results are drawn from the standard published TUP tables named 810 PLANSxAGEGEN.
- An Apple or Android future – the generations speakBackground: As the smartphone market approaches saturation and ubiquity, the competition between ecosystems has become the most closely scrutinized. Will future smartphone consumers choose an Apple iPhone or an Android smartphone? Is Gen X more interested in iPhones, or are they going with Android? Approach: This MetaFAQs is based on the responses of 54,619 respondents over four years from the MetaFacts TUP/Technology User Profile 2021 through 2024 waves, spanning the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, and China. It reports on the percentage of online adults in three mutually exclusive groups: Those who are planning to purchase an iPhone and not an Android smartphone, those planning to purchase an Android and not an iPhone, and those on the fence – planning to buy either. This is further split by generations for and with a global and US view. These results are drawn from the standard published TUP tables named 810 PLANSxAGEGEN.
- Smartphones overtake computers: Device hour shifts since pre-pandemic timesBackground: Before the pandemic and economic shifts, online adults worldwide have adjusted which devices they use, how they use them, and how often they use them. Two major changes are the shift from feature phones to smartphones and, following that, the transition from computers to smartphones. One measure of this shift is the time users spend with each type of device. Approach: MetaFacts surveyed 81,608 online adults in the US, Germany, UK, and Japan from 2018 through 2024 as part of its annual TUP/Technology User Profile study. Within the survey, as part of detailing the multiple devices that respondents regularly use – smartphones, computers, tablets, and game consoles – we have them report the number of hours they use each device weekly. We aggregate these results for each respondent and then report the mean (average) hours within their country and generational age group.
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