90% of US teens plan to get an iPhone

By

The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 price is now the same for all the top US telecoms.
Many teens weren't even born when the first iPhone debuted.
Photo: Apple

A massive 88% of U.S. teenagers own an iPhone, and 90% expect their next phone to be an iPhone, a new Piper Sandler survey of more than 7,000 teens suggests.

It’s an impressive showcase of just how popular Apple is among young people — especially so considering that this is a relatively fickle demographic that frequently shies away from things their parents are into. The oldest teen today was only 5 when the first-gen iPhone debuted in 2007. The youngest weren’t even born yet.

The report also claims that Apple Pay is second only to cash in how teens like to pay for things. Other tech companies and products that fare well in the report include Netflix, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok and Amazon. In addition, the survey covers topics ranging from jobs and the economy to favorite celebrities.

Apple products typically do very well among young people. The high iPhone ownership (or self-reported ownership) matches previous studies, such as one that pegged the percentage of iPhone-owning teens at 83% in 2019. Apple products also frequently rank highly on gift wishlists.

It would be interesting to have more granular information about what it is that teens respond to about iPhones. I would guess it’s the fact that iPhones represent quasi-affordable luxuries or status symbols on a budget.

Teens aren’t buying expensive watches or cars to signal their affluence to others. Apple devices, on the other hand, are inexpensive enough to be obtainable. Plus, they’re pretty darn great phones — and that never goes out of fashion.

Source: Piper Sandler

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.