Apple has a history of marketing towards younger people or those aspiring to have a more youthful image. That has borne fruit, as demonstrated by the higher penetration rates of Apple products and services. Apple’s line of Macintosh computers acquired with personal funds for home use has higher penetration rates among younger adults than among older ones. However, this pattern is not true across all countries surveyed.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults using an Apple home computer within age groups in the US, UK, Germany, Japan, and China. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1227_yapl] in TUP Lenses: PCs; User Profile; Technology Ecosystems
Gameplayers shift platforms, drifting from consoles and PCs
Playing games is a regular activity for around half of online adults in the US, Germany, the UK, and Japan, a practice that has remained relatively steady since 2021. What has changed is the play platform of choice, as smartphones grow in favor while PCs and game consoles diminish. While Gen Z leads in gameplaying activity, the Boomer/Silent generations have increased their fun behavior, especially with smartphones.
This MetaFAQ reports on the percentage of online adults who regularly play games using a game console, smartphone, PC, gaming PC, or other connected device from 2021 through 2023. This information is split into generational age groups among Americans. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1227_gamt] in TUP Lenses: Mobile Phones; User Profile; Activities; Game Consoles, Gaming PCs, and Game-Playing
American and German household size associated with device newness
Americans and Germans in larger households tend to have newer devices than those in smaller households, a trend that has been forming since 2019. For example, the average age of an American adult’s primary device in households with four or more people is 1.7 years, a full year newer than the age in 2018. Similarly, among adults in larger households in Germany, the current device age is 1.9 years versus three years in 2018. There’s less difference in the UK, Japan, and China.
This MetaFAQ reports on the average (mean) age of the primary device in active use – smartphone, feature phone, computer, tablet, or game console. The averages are split by country and household size. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1222_famt] in TUP Lenses: Devices; User Profile; Households
Apple edge: loyal customers
Apple has attracted a substantial base of loyal and highly involved customers. One measure of any company’s most loyal customers is those with many devices within a given ecosystem. In Apple’s case, as with Microsoft Windows, or Google’s Android or ChromeOS, this measure is based on the number of Apple products they actively use, such as an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Apple’s technology ecosystem is one of Apple’s key differentiators, which promises to provide extra benefits to users of more than one Apple product. Potential benefits include smoother interoperability and a more consistent user experience. However, some market segments have limited control over the types of devices they use or they are using fewer devices in a quest for simplicity or economy.
This MetaFAQs reports on the number of online adults across five countries using two or more Apple devices: iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1221_apl2] in TUP Lenses: Technology Ecosystems
iPhones are strongest among younger adults in most countries
Apple’s continued emphasis on a youthful market continues to bear fruit. The highest penetration of Apple iPhones is among adults aged 18 to 24 across all countries surveyed. This is especially notable in Germany, where Google Android phones have dominated the market for many years. Conversely, iPhones have much lower penetration rates among adults aged 50 and up, except in the US, where rates among older adults are only somewhat lower than average.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults using an Apple iPhone split by age group and country. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1217_ipho] in TUP Lenses: Mobile Phones; User Profile; Technology Ecosystems
No generation is saving PCs
PC usage has declined substantially since 2017 based on the number of weekly hours users use computers. Although there has been a very slight uptick among adults in Japan and the UK, hours have dropped for most of the years from 2017 through 2023.
Millennials have maintained the highest hourly usage rates, with Gen X not far behind, although these generational groups have also substantially lowered their usage.
This MetaFAQ reports the average weekly hours online adults use PCs, including any home-owner, employer-provided, self-employer, public, or other computers for 2017 through 2023. The results are split by generational age group and country. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1217_milt] in TUP Lenses: PCs; User Profile
UK tech buyers boost buying while China’s elites hang on
The global landscape has witnessed significant shifts in consumer purchasing behavior due to the impact of the pandemic and broader economic changes. This transformation extends to acquiring tech products such as smartphones, computers, tablets, and game consoles. With the rapid transition to remote work, many individuals proactively invested in personal computing devices to enhance their productivity rather than relying on their employers for equipment provision.
Conversely, individuals facing reduced working hours or economic uncertainty opted to postpone their tech purchases. On a global scale, the mean age of a technology user’s primary device has exhibited relative stability, averaging between 1.9 and 2.1 years old over the past five years. However, a closer examination reveals notable variations across different countries.
The affluent and highly educated among China’s population has consistently maintained access to the latest tech devices. Nevertheless, a recent delay in 2023 has cast uncertainty on their leading position, potentially aligning them with the global average in the near future. In contrast, consumers in the UK, who amidst Brexit and the pandemic deferred tech device purchases, have demonstrated a two-year consecutive uptick in acquisitions. Consequently, their average device age now ranks second among surveyed countries.
Meanwhile, online adults in Germany and Japan have displayed a penchant for holding onto their primary devices longer compared to their international counterparts. These nuanced trends offer valuable insights for technology marketers, researchers, analysts, and industry professionals seeking to navigate evolving consumer preferences and market dynamics.
This MetaFAQs reports on the mean age of the respondent’s primary device – a smartphone, computer, tablet, or game console – by country from 2018 through 2023. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1207_yeat] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets
Nearly three of four Gen Z Americans use at least one Apple device
Apple has expanded into the two latest generations of online adults around the world. In every country surveyed, more than half of online adults are regularly using at least one major Apple product: an iPhone, an iPad, or a Mac. Among the earlier generations with millennials and Boomer/Silent adults, global penetration is 40%, and in the US it nears 50%.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults by age generation and country who are using one or more Apple devices – a smartphone, tablet, or computer. It also details how many Apple devices each age generation is using. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1207_appl] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets; User Profile; Technology Ecosystems
Half of Gen Z Americans use a game console, unlike elders
Later generations heavily favor game consoles. Only a fourth of Gen X has embraced game consoles, while most millennials and Gen Z generations actively play with them. Console games are intriguing to these later generations for their immersion, demanding video, and the social aspect of sharing game-playing.
This MetaFAQs reports the percentage of online adults in the US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China using a game console by generation. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1203_cons] in TUP Lenses: User Profile; Activities; Game Consoles, Gaming PCs, and Game-Playing
One in three Gen Z Americans have a new PC, unlike Boomers
One in three Gen Z Americans have a new PC, unlike Boomers – Experienced generations replace PCs less frequently than newer users, especially in the US, UK, and Germany. However, Japan and China’s Gen X started with computers later. Notably, Gen Z shows a strong inclination towards using the latest computers. Report [TUP_doc_2023_1127_newp] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; User Profile