According to the latest market research (PDF link) from analysis firm Piper Jaffray, Apple’s popularity is continuing to increase significantly among teenagers – a key segment of the mobile market. The figures reflect the results of a survey of over 5,000 teens from various income levels, and reveal that 48% of U.S. teenagers already own an iPhone. Further, 62% of respondents said they planned to buy one as their next phone.
The good news for Apple doesn’t stop at the iPhone, either. The survey also revealed that 51% of teens currently own a tablet, with the iPad accounting for 62% of those. Teens who said they were planning to purchase an iPad also dominantly favored the iPad, with 68% reporting that they plan to purchase an iPad or iPad mini over an Android tablet.
While the numbers look great for Apple, things don’t appear so rosy for Android – while 59% of teenagers are planning to buy an iOS device (either a smartphone or a tablet), only 21% said they were likely to purchase an Android based device. The smartphone figures fare slightly better for Android – but the number is still only 23%, compared to 62% for the iPhone.
Needless to say, teenagers represent an extremely important segment of the consumer electronics market – after all, they are the next generation of consumers. If any game-changing shifts in power are likely to occur in the mobile sector, it will be directly due to their influence. Fortune has rounded up a few other key findings from the report:
- 91% of teens say they plan to buy a smartphone for their next high-tech device, up from 86% last spring and 90% last fall
- 59% of teens say they are likely to buy an iOS device (unchanged from fall) and 21% are likely to buy an Android device (was 20%)
- Among high-income families, the iOS preference rises to 70%
- 48% of teens already own an iPhone, compared with 40% last fall
- 62% of teens plan on making an iPhone their next mobile device (flat vs. fall 2012)
- 23% expect to buy an Android phone, up from 22% last fall
- 51% already own a tablet, up from 44% last fall
- Among teens who own tablets, 68% own iPads, down from 72%
- 17% of teens plan on buying a tablet in the next 6 months (vs. 20% Fall 2012)
- 68% plan to buy an iPad (54% full size/14% Mini)
Congrats, Apple! It looks like the market is ripe for the iPhone and iPad, at least in the U.S. As for Google and Android: Good luck out there!
