Teen iPhone Ownership Hits an All-Time High in Long-Running Survey

[MacRumors]

The iPhone continues to be the most popular smartphone among U.S. teens, a title that it has held for many years, according to new data gathered by investment firm Piper Sandler for its most recent semiannual teen survey in the United States.

85 percent of teens surveyed own an iPhone, and 88 percent expect an iPhone to be their next phone, both of which are new all-time survey highs, but it's worth keeping in mind that most of these respondents are from higher-income families. Last year, 83 percent of teens surveyed owned an iPhone, and 86 percent planned to purchase.

8 percent of teens said they planned to purchase an Android, down from 10 percent in the year-ago survey.

Teen interest in the iPhone has been strong since the beginning of these surveys, but has grown steadily every year. In 2020, Apple is expected to release 5G iPhones and a new, more affordable iPhone SE option, which could cause teen iPhone adoption numbers to grow even further.

This year's survey also took a look at the AirPods. 52 percent of teens said that they own a set of AirPods, and of those that don't own AirPods, 18 percent plan to purchase them within a year.

Teen customers are important to Apple as brand loyalty will inspire them to continue purchasing products in the Apple ecosystem for years to come.

Piper Sandler's "Taking Stock With Teens" survey asked 5,200 teenagers with an average age of 16.2 and a median household income of $65,600 about their purchasing habits and brand preferences. Piper Jaffray merged with Sandler O'Neill earlier this year, hence the new name, but this survey as been ongoing since 2001.

Article Link: Teen iPhone Ownership Hits an All-Time High in Long-Running Survey

 

[69Mustang]

Fit's my personal anecdote. Both my teens own iPhones. Not sure it means much though. They both wanted them for the same reason: their friends have them and they all use iMessage together.

 

[mannyvel]

Really, once you're locked into the iOS system you're there forever. For kids, all their apps etc are on iOS, and nobody wants to go and re-buy all the games/apps they get from family share.

 

[trusso]

"Get 'em while they're young!"

 

[NickName99]

iPhones are the cool phones with teens, and Android nerds can’t convince teens otherwise. 😂

 

[Red Oak]

$63K is the US household median income

So, this is wrong: “but it's worth keeping in mind that most of these respondents are from higher-income families.”

 

[44267547]

I mean, in general aside from the whole ‘teen demographic’, who isn’t without a cell phone anymore these days?

 

[dspdoc]

This is a "Mac rumor"?! LOL

 

[Royksöpp]

My teenage niece was looking at a new phone and I jokingly said what about an android? Her reaction was priceless.

 

[topgunn]

No teen wants to be a green bubble friend.

 

[motm95]

We gave a hand-me-down iPhone 7 Plus to our older son a few years ago and we'll upgrade him to something newer for his high school graduation. I think our younger son is more excited since that means the 7 Plus will go to him and he can finally stop using an old Pixel.

 

[69Mustang]

Really, once you're locked into the iOS system you're there forever. For kids, all their apps etc are on iOS, and nobody wants to go and re-buy all the games/apps they get from family share.

Not really true imo. I think the one key draw for teens is iMessage. Generalizing here, but their main apps like YT, Insta, Twitter, Tik Tok, etc. are ecosystem agnostic. So are their apps like Spotify, Apple Music, Netflix, Disney+, ATV+, Hulu... it's iMessage, followed by Facetime imo.

All of this is from my US perspective. I know iMessage/Facetime isn't the be-all-end-all in other places like it is in the US.

 

[Strokee]

My teenage niece was looking at a new phone and I jokingly said what about an android? Her reaction was priceless.

This story would be infinitely cooler if you actually shared what your niece's reaction was. As is, we're left to simply speculate:

- did she squeal with excitement?
- did she spit on you?
- did she start crying?
- did she kick you and run?

We're still left wondering what's in the center of a Tootsie Pop.

 

[The Barron]

Keep getting those iPhones, Teens! I would normally say to keep "buying," but most teens' parents are paying both for the phone & the monthly carrier fees. My Apple stock thanks you & your folks. 😁

 

[JosephAW]

I wonder what percentage of teens actually "bought" their own iPhone?

 

[nfl46]

My teen nieces & nephews said they only want an iPhone. If they can’t have an iPhone, then they don’t want a phone. Lol. They’re great kids, though. As long as those grades are A’s or B’s, then their parents will let them keep their iPhones.

Around 98% of my family and friends use iPhones anyway.

 

[hortod1]

Are teens buying these phones or is mom/dad?

Wondering what happens when the parents kick the little birdies out of the nest and they realize just how expensive Apple products are

 

[44267547]

I wonder what percentage of teens actually "bought" their own iPhone?

Good question. Not many, most of them are probably discounted phones, handed down as a secondary device (Think iPhone 6), donated, etc. A lot of teenagers have sub-per jobs that pay minimum-wage, which is probably enough to put fuel in their ‘get-around’ vehicle and that’s about it.

Plus, I think teenagers generally don’t care about having the most ‘expensive phone’, they just want a communication device so they can use their Snapchat photos and Facebook messenger amongst their groupies and besties for the latest 411. 😁

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Are teens buying these phones or is mom/dad?

What magically makes the average parent of a teenager insensitive to the price they'd pay for a phone for their child when they care about the price they'd pay for a phone of themselves?

Now I want to know what the percentage of parents own iPhones vs Androids... do the parents of teens also have iPhones? It may be that only people age 20-40 own Androids... by the time your kid is a teen you've got enough disposable income that it's iPhones for everyone?

 

[Kabeyun]

I mean, in general aside from the whole ‘teen demographic’, who isn’t without a cell phone anymore these days?

True but tangential.

 

[efktd]

This was me 18 years ago, but with an iPod

 

[nylonsteel]

i feel my age when i pull out my galaxy and a 19yo girl says "you dont have an iphone?"

 

[Villarrealadrian]

Yes, teens are wisest to make a survey about

 

[Ronald Reagan]

This does not bode well for android phone makers.

 

[mannyvel]

Yes, teens are wisest to make a survey about

It's not about being wise, it's about measuring the pipeline of future customers.