As economic shifts, supply chain issues, and the effects of the pandemic linger, Americans continue to express their interest in technology products. However, their current purchase plans are all over the map, with several vital products experiencing a collapse in buyer interest. Tablets and smartwatches are looking up, printers down, and wireless item trackers are flat as consumers reel through their ups and downs.
This MetaFAQs reports on the purchase plans of online Americans for a smartwatch, printer, smartphone (iPhone or Android), wireless item tracker, home computer, fitness tracker, or tablet. The analysis splits 1st-time buyers from repeat buyers while also reporting on the number of current users without plans and those out of the market.
Android smartphone usage & plans by socioeconomic groups
Android smartphones continue to predominate as products for lower and moderate socioeconomic groups, both active users as well as those aspiring to have newer Androids. Several traditionally disadvantaged groups have higher market penetration rates than those historically advantaged. As overall Android smartphone penetration has dropped among Americans during the pandemic, adoption faltered the furthest among disadvantaged groups. However, two upper socioeconomic groups have higher penetration rates than five years earlier.
This TUPdate looks at the profile of American adults who currently use or intend to use an Android smartphone along several lines: the socioeconomic group they are part of, their life stage, employment status, and age.
Windows and Apple computers decline in use while iPhone and Androids battle
Online adults around the world have continued to use fewer devices than in the past. Computers have been declining in use both in numbers and overall market penetration. Windows PCs have continued their trend of being used by fewer adults, as smartphones grow in their breadth of usage. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults using Windows PCs, Apple Macs, Apple iPhones, Android smartphones, Apple iPads, Android tablets, and Windows tablets.
Consumer tech sentiment weakened
Forward consumer sentiment for buying technology products has weakened substantially in the last year, impacting many products from computers to Apple Watch. This MetaFAQs reports on the change in purchase plans between 2021 and 2022 for many products: smartphones, laptops, desktops, wearables, printers, and Chromebooks.
Profile of Americans who recently acquired a feature phone
Out with the old, and in with the new? 6.1 million Americans (3% of all online American adults) recently upgraded to a new phone – a new feature phone and not a smartphone. This MetaFAQ profiles Americans who recently acquired a feature phone by several critical demographic and behavioral factors distinctive from the average American online adult: age and gender; employment status; household size; life stage (age, employment status, presence of children); technology ecosystem involvement or entrenchment; game-playing on connected devices; use of competitive game consoles; and use of a VR headset. Report [TUP_doc_2022_0807_new_] in TUP Lenses: Mobile Phones; Technology Ecosystems; Devices; User Profile.
Profile of Americans with the oldest smartphones
There’s a growing divide between those who remain up to date with their smartphones and those who cling to the older models. This report looks at those who own the oldest smartphones—29% of all online Americans. This MetaFAQs profiles online Americans with the oldest smartphones by several critical demographic and behavioral factors distinctive from the average American online adult: age and gender, employment status, and technology ecosystem entrenchment. Report [TUP_doc_2022_0804_old] in TUP Lenses: Mobile Phones, Devices, User Profile.
Profile of Americans who recently acquired an Apple iPhone
Apple holds an important place in the market, but how many and who are the users getting new iPhones? Those with a new Apple iPhone constitute 8% of all online American adults. This MetaFAQs profiles those with a recently acquired Apple iPhone by several critical demographic and behavioral factors distinctive from the average American online adult: age and gender; employment status; household size; life stage (age, employment status, presence of children); employment status; and technology ecosystem entrenchment. Report [TUP_doc_2022_0803_new_] in TUP Lenses: Devices, Mobile Phones, User Profile, Technology Ecosystems.
Highlights: Technology Ecosystems
While some device makers focus on speeds, feeds, and features, others are playing the long game to build long-term customer loyalty through ecosystems. This TUP Technology Ecosystems Highlights report reports on the size of leading technology ecosystems, which types of devices are dominating (or not), and their longer-term trends. It details the unique activities users focus on within certain ecosystems, and profiles each ecosystem’s users.
Tablets – Highlights
Tablets continue to seek a solid home, major use cases, and most vital segments. Currently, the largest groups of users are passive, older, or entrenched in the Apple or Google ecosystem. While Apple continues to lead and increase its share, other makers like Samsung are seeing withering penetration. Incidental and passive activities from web browsing, shopping, movie-watching, and checking email haven’t been unique enough on tablets to entice users away from their smartphones or computers.
This TUP Highlights report includes the following sections: the profile of tablet users, trends in tablets, top tablet brands, top tablet activities, unique tablet activities, and trends in technology ecosystems.
Highlights: Activities
What we do paints a richer picture than what we carry or own. All computers are not used the same and nor are smartphones or tablets. Each user has their preference about how they spend their time. Also, each user expresses their choices about which connected devices they turn to for each type of activity. While some see their tablets as passive movie screens, others rely on them as communication hubs. Some users prefer to shop on a computer, while others rely more on their smartphones.
This TUP Highlights report includes the following sections: main activities across all tech devices, major activities for each device type, activities unique to which device type, cross-device activities, the profile of activity type users, major activities for a market segment, home entertainment activities, the profile by key activities, and listening activities.