A whopping 87% of U.S. teens own an iPhone, according to a recent survey. This continues a long trend of iPhone reigning supreme in high schools.
The survey also shows that Apple Watch and Apple Pay prove quite popular with teens.
Teen = iPhone user
There are plenty of theories about why iPhone is so popular with U.S. teens. A typical one is the green/blue bubble divide when messaging. Some people point out that iPhones are status symbols, and teens are very status-conscious. And both Apple and teens are concerned about the environment.
Whatever the reasons, the Spring 2023 results of the semi-annual Taking Stock With Teens survey conducted by investment banking firm Piper Sandler found that “87% of teens own an iPhone; 88% expect an iPhone to be their next phone.”
Apple handsets have long had a strong position among American teens. In the spring of 2014, about 60% of teenagers owned an iPhone. By 2018, the number rose to 82%. The trend leveled off at just under 90% in 2021 and has stayed steady since then.
The iPhone/Android percentages change when the entire U.S. population is included. iPhone captures 56% of the overall market, while Android stands at 43%.
Other Apple products also popular with teens
Piper Sandler talked to almost 6,000 teens for its survey, which also found that 35% of respondents own an Apple Watch.
The contactless payment system built into iPhone is popular with teens, too. “Apple Pay ranked No. 1 for payment apps used within the last month at 39%,” said Piper Sandler.
… and some others not so much
Despite the iPhone’s dominance, a couple of Apple services failed to earn high marks: Apple TV+ and Apple Music.
On the streaming video front, Netflix and YouTube ranked highest.
“Teens spend 31% of daily video consumption on Netflix (+100 bps vs Fall 2022) and 28% on YouTube (-200 bps vs Fall 2022),” according to the survey results.
And when it comes to streaming audio, teens clearly prefer Spotify.
“68% of teens have used Spotify for streaming services over the last 6 months,” Piper Sandler said, “with 44% of teens opting to subscribe/pay for Spotify services.”
Source: Piper Sandler
