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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How American generations use smartphones

People continue to engrain smartphones further into their lives, relying on them for communication and many other activities. No single communication mode has reached singularity, and instead the top activities include text messaging, personal email, and even personal phone calls. Later generations have the highest regular use of social networking activity, while earlier generations are increasingly using smartphones for online shopping and banking. Video calls have only emerged as a top activity among one generational group.

This MetaFAQ reports on how Americans use smartphones. It shows the percentage of Americans doing any of the top ten smartphone activities. Further, it compares these percentages to how smartphone users use them worldwide. For Americans, it also splits these activities by generational group, identifying each group’s top ten activities and the three activities that have expanded the most since 2019. Report [TUP_doc_2024_0212_spac] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Activities; Communication

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UK tech buyers freshen up while China’s elites delay

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 the acquisition of 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 at 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 initially 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. Report [TUP_doc_2023_0824_year] in TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets

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Highlights: Wearables, Hearables, Listening & Speaking

Entertainment, communication, and smart homes have all evolved beyond requiring typing on a keyboard or sitting near PC speakers. Wearable and hearables have extended a broad range of audible activities further towards a more personal convenience. However, active usage of any wearables or hearables has varied considerably across market segments. While Bluetooth headphones are widespread, VR headsets persist as niche products among a younger, more affluent, and tech-savvy segment. Smart speakers, in contrast, are showing signs of having peaked after rising in use among a middle market.
This TUP Highlights report includes the following sections: wearables penetration, hearables penetration, wearable devices used, trends in wearables and hearables, purchase plans for wearables, listening activities, penetration of voice assistant usage, the profile of voice assistant users, the profile of hearables users, and the profile of wearables users.

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Tracking steps with a smartphone

Regularly walking is a widely accepted way to improve and maintain health and tracking one’s steps is also popular. While there are many ways to track steps – from simple pedometers to fitness trackers and smartwatches, most smartphones also include the ability to track steps.

This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults in the US, Germany, the UK, and Japan that regularly track their steps with smartphones. It details the trend between 2017 and 2021. It further splits out these active walkers by age group within each country surveyed.

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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.