MetaFacts TUP/Technology User Profile analysis results for subscribers
Despite the increasing presence of navigation assistance across many devices—and cars—nearly 1 out of 5 Americans still print maps or directions.
This MetaFAQs reports on those online Americans in 2021 who print maps or directions by age group, age and gender, employment status, life stage, technology ecosystem involvement, and technology ecosystem entrenchment.
The COVID pandemic made clear many socioeconomic inequities between Americans, as the impact of the virus was felt differently in great part depending on their educational attainment, occupation, employment status, and other factors.
This TUPdate focuses on one segment – currently unemployed Americans aged 18-49 – reporting their market size and profiling their usage of connected devices, which devices they do or don’t use, how much they use them, and the intensity of changes since before the pandemic.
More and more people are listening—to their devices, that is. Over half of online adults in most countries surveyed actively use hearables products—those technology products focused on listening activities—with Japan close behind at 45% of tech users. American online adults have the highest rates of using hearables products of all countries surveyed.
This MetaFAQs reports on hearables product use by country and age group in the US, UK, Germany, and Japan in 2021. Hearables products identified included: webcams, wireless Bluetooth headsets or headphones, voice assistants, voice-enabled speakers, VR headsets, and smart displays.
Around the world, tech users are listening—to their devices, at least. Smartphones dominate listening activities, but many other devices, like PCs and tablets, also play a role. This MetaFAQs profiles all online adults who actively use their connected devices for specific listening & hearing activities. The report details which activities are being done by platform, showing how computers are used differently from smartphones or tablets. Active listeners number 209 million in the US (95% of online American adults), 54.6 million in Germany (94%), 44.2 million in the UK (94%), and 78.1 million in Japan (87%). Report [TUP_doc_2022_0129_list] in TUP Lenses: Consumer Electronics; Activities; Wearables, Hearables, Listening, and Speaking; Home Entertainment.
Although the pandemic increased tech use in many areas, tablet gameplay was not one of them. 2020 saw a steep drop in tablet gaming, with a slow resurgence in 2021—a stronger rebound among some groups more than others. This MetaFAQs profiles all online adults who use tablets to play games. This analysis considers online tablet game players by life stage with a look at tablet users in the United States and globally. Report [TUP_doc_2022_0127_tabl] in TUP Lenses: Tablets; Activities; User Profile; Game Consoles, Gaming PCs, and Game-Playing.
American online seniors aged 75 and older are more active and numerous than may be expected, accounting for ten million Americans. This TUPdate reports on the mixture of connected devices in active use – home PCs, smartphones, tablets, and feature phones, and how many of these they actively use. It also shows which activities these busy seniors do with their devices and how many regularly conduct the given activity. Furthermore, this TUPdate describes which consumer electronics are being used for entertainment purposes and the share of this segment that use wearables or smart homes.
The demand for playing games has gotten ahead of game consoles. More online adults play immersive or other games using their connected devices than regularly use a game console. The gap between what people do and what they have spells opportunity for game console makers and game makers alike. This MetaFAQs reports on the penetration rates of game consoles as compared to online adults that regularly play games using their connected devices – smartphones, computers, tablets, or game consoles. Results are reported by country and age group.
Are voice assistants such as Apple Siri or Amazon Alexa in as widespread usage as imagined? How recently have online adults in the US, UK, Germany, and Japan used a voice assistant? How does voice assistant use compare when using a smartphone versus a computer? Between 26% and 38% of online adults in these countries have used a voice assistant with a smartphone, and between 10% and 13% used a computer. This MetaFAQs reports on the recency of voice assistant usage among online adults in the US, the UK, Germany, and Japan. It further splits smartphone and computer usage by the age group of Americans.
Online Americans aged 65 and older and who live alone are one of many socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. During the pandemic, many have been adversely affected by not having robust technology such as can be used for communication or delivery of food or medicine. This TUP analysis reports on this group and which active connected devices they use, how many they regularly use, how intensively they use them, and their work from home status.
Smart speakers are making themselves heard, although at a relatively low volume. Between 9% and 19% of online adults across the US, UK, Germany, and Japan regularly use at least one smart speaker – a wireless speaker that can be used with a voice assistant. They skew somewhat younger than the average online adult. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults in the US, Germany, the UK, and Japan who regularly use a smart speaker by age group.