Hearables are having a tumultuous time during the pandemic, and users adapt to shifting situations. Webcams are a significant force, as are wireless Bluetooth headsets, both pivotal for users working or schooling from home. Meanwhile, voice-enabled speakers have reached a plateau, reaching their largest share among neither the youngest nor oldest adults. Smartwatches have made inroads across nearly all age groups, especially younger employed adults.
This TUP Highlights report includes the following sections: purchase plans for wearables, hearables penetration, wearables penetration, trends in consumer electronics, the profile of hearables users, the profile of wearables users, the profile of key consumer electronics users, and device activities compared to consumer electronics.
Profile of American iPhone users
Apple iPhones have reached nearly every type of online American, although gaps and skews persist. Younger adult students and employees have the highest penetration rates. This MetaFAQs report profiles American iPhone users by four critical demographic and behavioral factors distinctive from the average American online adult: age group, employment status, life stage, and mix of technology ecosystems.
Profile of Active American Siri or HomePod users
Apple’s Siri is enjoying steady progress where other voice assistants have not. A third or more of younger Americans – male and female – are active users. Working parents are also being listened to, if not by their children, then at least by Siri. This MetaFAQs report profiles active users of Apple Siri or who have HomePods by a range of distinctive characteristics: age group, employment status, life stage, technology ecosystems, and others.
Profile of Americans expecting to be working from home in one year
The COVID pandemic continues to change many lives, including those working from home as never before. As employers are adapting to shifting conditions, some have brought employees back to the workplace while others are still adapting. This MetaFAQs reports on the expectations by employees about whether or not they expect to be working from home in one year. The brief report is based on 2,681 employed Americans who are currently working from home at least occasionally, profiling them by their age and gender, employment status, educational attainment, and other characteristics.
Users of multiple home and work Apple devices
What people actively use defines their brand loyalty and the depth of an ecosystem’s penetration. This TUP analysis looks at how many adults use an Apple OS device (iPhone, iPad, Mac) split by those who acquired them personally for home use compared to those who also use one that is employer-provided.
Profile of Americans who wear an Apple Watch
Smartwatches are about more than telling the time. Apple Watch has made its most substantial inroads among employed Americans, with children and neither the youngest nor the oldest adults. This MetaFAQs profiles the 32.7 million (17%) online Americans actively using an Apple Watch, detailing the critical demographic and behavioral factors that distinguish them from the average American online adult: age, age within gender, employment status, household size, life stage, number of home PCs, and technology ecosystems.
Highlights: Devices
There has been a sea change in which connected devices people use as well as how they use them. This TUP Highlights report details the trends in device ownership, the shifts between technology ecosystems, and market penetration levels. It spells out the major activities for each type of device, and how usage has changed. Furthermore, it details how many employees use personal devices for remote work.
Trends in technology ecosystems
Among online Americans, Smartphones have reached the same penetration rate as PCs, partly due to some segments where PC usage has declined. Apple has propelled much of this growth, outpacing Android smartphones in nearly every segment. Windows PCs, while still dominant, have been gradually losing their lead and penetration rates among most segments. Usage of tablets has continued its slow decline, primarily due to lowered market penetration of iPads within most market segments.
Purchase plans for smartphones and tablets by OS, country, and age
Globally, more online adults plan to buy an iPhone than buy an Android smartphone. In purchase plans, iPads lead Android tablets even more substantially. The gap and direction vary by country and age of the respondent. This MetaFAQs reports purchase plans among online adults by device type, country, and age group.
User activities reveal ecosystem strengths
While some may argue that a smartphone is a smartphone regardless of its ecosystem, users beg to differ, as shown by their actions. This MetaFAQs profiles activity usage differences between iPhones and Android smartphones, Windows PCs, Apple Macs, and Chromebooks, and iPads, Android, and Windows tablets.