This page lists the most recent TUP analysis. MetaFAQs, TUPdates, and Highlights are listed below beginning with the most recent releases first.
For a brief summary of recent findings, please visit our What’s New page.
MetaFAQs address a specific current or often-asked question. TUPdates drill more deeply into TUP to cover a topic in more detail. Highlights are broader analyses for a specific TUP lens.
Recent MetaFAQs, TUPdates, and Highlights
- Gen Z and Millennials continue trend as most substantial consumers of print servicesPeople 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 restartIn 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
- Younger, not youngest, adults continue with most device hoursBefore 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 trendThe 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
- Remote workers continue paying own phone billsSmartphones have become a workhorse for many workers, facilitating their ability to work remotely. However, the share of employers who help pay the phone bills is nominal. In 2020, employers paid for a higher share of workers, and that share has declined since then. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of workers who have their phone service charges paid for or reimbursed by their employers, split by country. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0316_empt] in TUP Lenses: Mobile Phones; Work/Life Balance
- Online workforces continue to declineThe labor market status is a major macroeconomic factor in understanding and measuring market demand. Technology products such as computers and smartphones are susceptible to these economic shifts. Fewer workers mean fewer duplicated resources, such as workers using a home-owned computer as well as one that is provided by their employer. Also, a smaller workforce can mean slower economic growth overall, to the extent that there is less earned income in the economy. The advent of gig workers in some countries, many of whom identify as self-employed, has also expanded the labor pool to some extent. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults who are employed full-time, part-time, or self-employed by country. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0314_empt] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Households
- Growing use of refurbished tech varies by country and age generationThe active use of used or refurbished technology is a growing practice among most countries surveyed. However, there are generational trends that differ from one country to another. In the US, later generations (Gen Z) have higher rates of using used or refurbished home computers or smartphones. In contrast, in the UK and Japan, different age generations have higher usage rates of used or refurbished home computers or smartphones. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of smartphone users who use a used or refurbished smartphone, the percentage of home computer users who use a used or refurbished computer, and details the trend from 2019 to 2023 by country and age generation. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0312_reft] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; User Profile; Game Consoles, Gaming PCs, and Game-Playing
- Remote work continues to pay off for American employeesWorking remotely has continued to be widespread among Americans, benefiting many employees and employers alike. As one factor, employees who work remotely are associated with higher-income households than those who never work remotely. A third of remote workers are in households earning $100,000 or more versus 22% of those who never work remotely. While the income gap was wider in 2021, the difference is still substantial in 2023. This is not to say that there is a causal effect because many other factors are involved in who does and does not work remotely, such as occupation, industry, employer policy, employee choice, and location. This MetaFAQs reports on the household income distribution of American employees by comparing those who work remotely with those who never work remotely. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0311_afft] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Work/Life Balance
- Apple’s consistently youthful multi-product customersAcross the US, UK, and China, adults actively use an average of 0.9 Apple OS devices (iPhones, iPads, or Macs). Users in the US consistently lead in the number of Apple devices in use, while the UK has shown the highest recent increase. Germany’s average is lower but has risen since 2017. Younger adults have more Apple devices on average, and successively older adults use fewer. Notably, German adults aged 18 to 24 have the highest mean number of devices, a sharp increase since 2021. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of adults with two or more Apple OS devices from 2017 to 2023, revealing market penetration trends. The statistics are split by country and age group. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0307_2apt] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets; User Profile; Technology Ecosystems
- Profile of Americans who sell things onlineNearly a fourth of online Americans regularly sell things online, making it widespread enough to be of interest, yet rare enough not to be mainstream. The type of people selling things online tend to be younger, from later generations, and gainfully employed. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online Americans who regularly sell things online split by sociodemographic characteristics: employment status, presence of children, age group, generation, gender, and generational life phase. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0306_sell] in TUP Lenses: Activities; User Profile
- A smartphone and home computer persist as top device comboHome computers have been challenged recently as many adults have been shifting their activities to smartphones. However, combining a home computer and a smartphone without a tablet is the most widely used combination of connected devices. This combination has reached a larger share of online adults in the US, Germany, and China than in 2018. Older adults have played a large part in sustaining home computer penetration even while more in this group are using smartphones. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of adults using a smartphone, home computer, and not a tablet split by country and age group. Results are based on surveys with 66,955 respondents. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0306_comt] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets
- Americans continue trend with more smartphone than computer hoursThere is a certain stability among Americans, at least when it comes to the many hours they use connected devices. Since 2019, Americans used a collection of connected devices – computers, smartphones, and tablets – for more than 10 billion weekly hours. This number has remained largely steady in total, although it has shifted between the types of devices Americans use. Computers have continued to decline in use as Americans increasingly turn to smartphones. This MetaFAQs reports on the millions of weekly hours Americans use smartphones, computers, and tablets, as well as the mean hours they use these devices. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0304_hout] in TUP Lenses: Devices, Mobile Phones, PCs, Tablets
- Used and refurbished smartphones are increasing in share, especially among the youngUsed or refurbished smartphones are a small but growing trend across all countries surveyed. Younger adults are using them at a higher rate. In the UK, rates have also risen among smartphone users aged 50 and up. Overall rates are highest in the UK and Germany. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of smartphone users actively using a used or refurbished smartphone, split by country and age group. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0302_yret] in TUP Lenses: Devices; Mobile Phones; User Profile
- Family size continues to influence connected device usage levelsBlame the soccer moms, the helicopter parents, or the kids. Or just accept that technology is a bigger part of the lives of those in larger households–either for fun, shopping, of getting things done. Adults in larger households use their connected devices for more hours than those with only one or two persons. This pattern has been true since 2018 and across nearly all countries surveyed from 2018 through 2023. This MetaFAQs reports the average (mean) number of weekly hours adults use their connected devices – smartphones, computers, or tablets – by country and household size.. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0301_bust] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets; User Profile; Households
- Computer penetration rates drop, but less so among older adults in many countriesComputer usage has declined among adults across many countries as an increasing number rely on their smartphones for activities from shopping to checking email. To the extent active computer penetration rates have been sustained, they have been supported mostly by older adults in Germany, Japan, and the US. In the UK and China, the age gap is less pronounced. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults who actively use a home computer, employer-provided computer, or any other computer such as one owned by a cybercafé, school, or library. The results are split by country and age category. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0228_agpt] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; User Profile
- Gen Z and millennials are the strongest consumers of printing servicesGen Z and millennials live life on the move, and how they print is no exception. These generations are twice as likely to use retail or online printing services as Gen X adults and four times as likely as the earlier Boomer/Silent generations. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults in the US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China who use self-service store kiosks, retail printing outlets, or online printing services, split by generational age groups. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0227_serv] in TUP Lenses: Printers; User Profile
- HP printers lead active base in most countriesHP leads the active installed base of printers, ahead of other brands in nearly every country surveyed. In Japan, however, other local brands dominate. This MetaFAQs reports on the primary printer brand of online Americans by age generation. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0226_prbr] in TUP Lenses: Printers
- Gen Z and millennials continue to lead voice assistant adoptionThe active use of a voice assistant through one’s primary device is still a niche activity, although it is trending upwards after a decline following the onset of the pandemic. There is a generational bias in that Gen Z and millennial adults have the highest rates in most countries surveyed. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults who have used a voice assistant through their primary connected device – a smartphone, computer, or tablet – within the last month. The results are split by country and age generation. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0226_yvot] in TUP Lenses: Mobile Phones; Consumer Electronics; User Profile; Activities; Technology Ecosystems; Wearables, Hearables, Listening, and Speaking
- Boomers lead, Gen Z trails in printer usePrinters are an actively used device by the majority of online adults around the world, although they are being used more by earlier than later generations. Gen Z adults in every country surveyed except Japan have the lowest levels of regular printer usage. The Boomer/Silent generations have the highest use in every country except Japan. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults actively using a printer whether in their workplace, at home, school, or other location by country and age generation. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0225_prtr] in TUP Lenses: Printers; User Profile
- Smartphone hours highest for Gen Z and millennialsYounger smartphone users worldwide use smartphones for more hours on average than earlier generations. This is more strongly the case in Japan and among China’s elites. In the US, millennials lead or are on par with Gen Z adults. In the UK and Germany, millennials lead. This MetaFAQs reports on the weekly average hours adults use smartphones split by age generations and countries. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0223_hour] in TUP Lenses: Devices; Mobile Phones; User Profile
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