Devices – MetaFacts TUP Client Portal

January 27, 2025February 18, 2025

Dell’s moribund home computer base

Background:

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.

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Usage guidelines: This document may be freely shared within and outside your organization in its entirety and unaltered. It may not be used with a generative AI system without separate licensing and express written permission. To share or quote excerpts, please contact MetaFacts.

January 22, 2025February 18, 2025

Lenovo’s leading edge – in home computing

Background:

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.

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.

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January 7, 2025January 28, 2025

Windows 10 PC users up for grabs

Background:

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.

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January 6, 2025February 18, 2025

Home mobile computing in the balance, as users choose

Background:

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.

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December 29, 2024January 31, 2025

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.

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October 3, 2024November 1, 2024

Smartphones overtake computers: Device hour shifts since pre-pandemic times

Background:
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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September 26, 2024January 31, 2025

The sizzle is fizzling in game-specific devices while gamers find ways to play with whatever they have

Fun is a persistent driver of technology usage, especially playing games. However, not all age generations are as interested in playing games as others are. Also, the devices people choose to play games on are evolving, with software becoming more efficient, graphics getting better, and connections getting faster. Also, the adoption of mobile devices, especially smartphones, has made game-playing more easily in reach to even casual gamers.
Approach: This MetaFAQs is based on the surveys of 52,618 respondents in the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, and China from 2021 through 2024. In the TUP/Technology User Profile questionnaire, we asked respondents to specific the activities they do regularly with their devices – smartphones, feature phones, computers, tablets, and game consoles. Among those activities are playing immersive/action games and other games. In addition, we gathered demographics such as age which allows us to group results into generations.
The results in this MetaFAQs include tables for 2021 through 2024 detailing the active use of the following activities and devices by country and generation: Online adults (000), Any smartphone, Any PC, Any home PC, Any game console, Any tablet, Any gaming desktop or laptop PC (NET), Any VR headset, Any device – play a game (NET), Any mobile device – game-playing (Net), Any smartphone – game-playing (Net) , Any PC game-playing or gaming PC (Net), Any PC – game-playing (Net), Any home PC – game-playing (Net), Any game console – game-playing (Net), Any tablet – play a game (NET), Any gaming PC – game-playing (Net)

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September 26, 2024November 6, 2024

The aging home computer installed base as most generations delay refreshing

Background:
Headwinds have faced home computers for years. Prior to the pandemic, adults worldwide were relying less on home computers and more on smartphones, tablets, or for some of the employed, work computers. With the onset of the pandemic, many employees, students, and parents turned to home computers for entertainment, shopping, or to get work done. Now, as many employees and students are returning to previously-established routines, home computer usage levels are returning to the established long-term trend.

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 if they are using a home computer, and how recently they acquired it.

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September 18, 2024January 30, 2025

The iPhone and Android smartphone switchers, holders, and refreshers

The undecided are scrutinized not only in the political realm. The switchers wavering between iPhone and Android smartphones are a small yet significant group of interest. Add to that the remaining group of users who are (finally) moving from their feature phones to smartphones, and there is much movement in the marketplace.

The smartphone market has evolved into replacement mode. Both Apple and Android smartphone makers know too well that a user beginning with their ecosystem is no guarantee that they will continue.

Many factors also affect whether smartphone users upgrade their smartphones. In China, in particular, a host of influences has affected purchase plans. These include shifts in the economy, nationalistic pressures, and increased challenges from Apple’s rivals based in China, such as Huawei and Xiaomi. Although speeds and feeds have been the fascination of technology media, users have other qualities in mind when they choose a platform. This is especially true for first-time smartphone users.

This analysis reports on the number of adults by their current and planned status, identifying the size of the market for those who intend to switch, plan to hold, are new to the market, and all other combinations of current and intended smartphone platforms.

Approach

To help measure the smartphone switcher market, we divided online adults into 16 groups. These are based on their usage and upcoming purchase plans for acquiring an iPhone or Android smartphone. Our analysis is of all online adults and includes adults who do not actively use smartphones, will be new to smartphones, and those who use more than one type. This TUPdate is based on the surveys of 13,561 online adults in the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, and China in August 2024. As part of the TUP/Technology User Profile questionnaire, we asked respondents to identify each smartphone they actively use, including its brand, operating system, and many other details. We also gathered their technology purchase plans for the upcoming twelve months, including purchase intentions for iPhone and Android smartphones.

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September 15, 2024November 1, 2024

Home PC pricing trends by generation

Background: Starting before the pandemic and subsequent economic shifts, online adults worldwide were adjusting which devices they use, with fewer using home computers. However, many employees working remotely were not provided a computer by their employer and sought to acquire one for their home. Also during this time period, adults were transitioning many of their regular activities from home computers to smartphones. This causes erratic effects to home PC prices, interrupting historical trends.

Approach: MetaFacts surveyed 60,872 online adults in the US, Germany, UK, and Japan from 2020 through 2024 as part of its annual TUP/Technology User Profile study. Within the survey, as part of detailing the home computers that respondents actively use, we gathered the price paid for any acquired as new in the previous 18 months. All prices were converted to US dollars for comparison, grouped into price ranges, and then reported by country and age generation.

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