The economy around the world is not moving in a good direction, and smartphone sales are normally affected by this situation. However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple’s most expensive phone in 2023, sold out within an hour and Apple could not meet the demand. Of course, there may be some production issues affecting the supply, but this does not change the fact that the iPhone remains a very popular product and Apple has handled the slow years much better than its competitors.
Android remains the dominant mobile platform worldwide. But there is an important problem that Google cannot solve. Pixels and Galaxy S models aren’t as cool as the iPhone for the most important age group in phone sales. According to a new study from Piper Sandler, young people are using iPhones more and plan to continue using iPhones in the future.
The company surveyed nearly 9,200 young people with an average age of 15.7 from 49 states in the United States. The median household income was $70,725 annually, and 37% of teens said they worked part-time in early September. Piper Sandler found that 87% of survey respondents were iPhone users. She also said 88% wanted their next phone to be an iPhone.
Since this survey is conducted twice a year, there is plenty of historical data to gauge the trend. As MacRumors points out, these numbers have remained unchanged since last year. However, in the last decade, interest in the iPhone among young people has gradually increased. In October 2013, 55% of teens owned an iPhone, while 24% used an Android device.
The situation is no different in Korea.
Although the survey only covered the US market, Piper Sandler’s findings align with a similar study in Korea. A Gallup survey earlier this year found that young adults in Korea prefer iPhones over Samsung phones.
These numbers show that Android vendors may have a big problem competing with the iPhone in the coming years. No other competing product generates as much interest as Apple’s flagship devices. Worse, teens think iPhones are “way cooler” than Android phones.
Young people who predominantly use iPhones and plan to use iPhones in the future could point to an even bigger problem for Android vendors. The majority of young people who participated in the Piper Sandler survey were not working. This means they get their phones from their parents, who may also have an iPhone. iPhone preferences also mean these teens will likely purchase iPhones as they transition into adulthood.
As long as Apple continues to win the hearts of young people, the iPhone seems to have a bright future. Additionally, the more iPhones young people use, the more robust Apple’s ecosystem of iPhone-related products and services can become. For example, 34% of survey respondents also owned an Apple Watch. This is higher than the 31% rate seen last year. However, only 10% of teens said they plan to buy an Apple Watch in the next six months, down from 16% last fall.
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