“I realize that most inventions fail not because the R&D department can’t get them to work, but because the timing is wrong—not all of the enabling factors are at play where they are needed. Inventing is a lot like surfing: you have to anticipate and catch the wave at just the right moment.” – Ray Kurzweil
“The future is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed.” – William Gibson
“The thing about data is: it keeps changing. But that’s the point … it’s the meta that matters.” – Esther Dyson
“Building for the future is a very difficult thing to do; we cannot hope to complete the work in one generation; all the more reason to begin at once.” – Rene Cassin, Nobel Prize, Peace, 1968
We can agree that much of the world has changed.
But, what has changed and what has stayed the same?
Solid research can tell you what has and has not changed. Now, more than ever, a deep and fresh profile is critical to planning.
If your profession involves creating the future, and you want key decisions supported by solid data and fewer assumptions, you have come to the right place. MetaFacts helps leading technology firms measure their current and future customers with empirical research. We also help public policymakers measure progress across socioeconomic groups. This site describes the many answers that MetaFacts’ market research supports with its TUP/Technology User Profile service.
TUP is the longest-running continuous study of technology users
To learn how your organization can subscribe, please contact MetaFacts.
MetaFacts – We help our clients create the future
Usage guidelines: This document may be freely shared within and outside your organization in its entirety and unaltered. To share or quote excerpts, please contact MetaFacts.
We are pleased to announce that we have released results from the 40th annual wave of the ongoing TUP/Technology User Profile study. Four continuous decades of research results have helped guide most of the top technology firms with solid information. With its focus on the people who use and enjoy technology products and services, the TUP study continues its mission of helping our clients create the future.
While most of our clients dive directly into the data and tables, we also offer our analysis. At present, we are analyzing the results, beginning by addressing the following questions. Many of these questions have been growing in importance for years, so we have earlier analysis and data available to provide a trend analysis and solid background on the changes in the market.
Pre-pandemic (TUP 2019) through the current time (TUP 2022)
Working from home
How many online adults work from home now? What are employees’ expectations about working from home in one year? How many adults use home PCs for work? Which technology do people working from home use? What online activities stand out for those working from home? How do those new to working from home differ from seasoned remote employees?
How have users shifted their choice of devices? How prevalent are smartphones as the primary type of device for major types of activities? Where do computers stand now?
How prevalent are computers as the primary type of device for major types of activities? How prevalent are tablets as the primary type of device for major types of activities? How has the mix of devices shifted by type of activity?
What are the major communication activities using any of the user’s connected devices? Which activities (e.g. work video meetings a’la Zoom) have dropped to before-pandemic levels? Which type of device is used for the most communication activities?
How has the market penetration for Apple/non-Apple computers, smartphones, and tablets shifted? What are the purchase intentions for Apple iPhones versus other smartphones? What are the purchase intentions for Apple Watch and non-Apple smart watches?
How have brand footprints shifted? What is the profile of HP’s PC customers? What is the profile of Dell’s customers? What is the profile of Samsung’s customers? What is the size and profile of Apple’s customers – for their iPhones, Macs, iPads, and other offerings?
How has tech use changed for key segments? How has tech use changed for employees? How has tech use changed for college students? How has tech use changed for parents? How has tech use changed for seniors? How has tech use changed for Baby Boomers? How has tech use changed for Generation Z?
Which technology are Americans planning to purchase? Which technology are remote workers planning to purchase? Which technology are new remote workers planning to purchase?
The TUP/Technology User Profile service is organized into TUP Lenses, each offering a view into the comprehensive datasets. More details about each lens can be found here.
Usage guidelines: This document may be freely shared within and outside your organization in its entirety and unaltered. To share or quote excerpts, please contact MetaFacts.
Usage guidelines: This document may be freely shared within and outside your organization in its entirety and unaltered. To share or quote excerpts, please contact MetaFacts.
Usage guidelines: This document may be freely shared within and outside your organization in its entirety and unaltered. To share or quote excerpts, please contact MetaFacts.
Usage guidelines: This document may be freely shared within and outside your organization in its entirety and unaltered. To share or quote excerpts, please contact MetaFacts.
Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, September 21, 2021
Workers with smaller businesses lead among workers working from home
The smallest employers account for the most significant share of adults working from home. Throughout the US, UK, and Germany to Japan and China, nearly one in three (31%) workers working from home work for organizations with fewer than 20 employees. Among those not working from home, these smaller employers only make up one in six. This is a finding from our survey of 8,307 worker respondents across the US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China from TUP/Technology User Profile 2021.
Usage guidelines: This document may be freely shared within and outside your organization in its entirety and unaltered. To share or quote excerpts, please contact MetaFacts.
Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, September 16, 2021
Age, education, and teamwork favor working from home
Those who are working from home are demographically distinct from those who are not. We found many demographic differences in our survey of 13,918 respondents across the US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China for TUP/Technology User Profile 2021.
Workers working from home are younger than workers not working from home and those not employed outside the home. Those working from home are also more likely to have a partner and higher educational attainment.
Usage guidelines: This document may be freely shared within and outside your organization in its entirety and unaltered. To share or quote excerpts, please contact MetaFacts.
Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, September 2, 2021
Apple dominates with most of the world’s users
Brand footprint is a measure of market penetration that explains much, while also painting a picture about the future. For companies like Apple with a broad product portfolio, a high number reflects the many ways that users can be included within Apple’s brand footprint – with any smartphone, PC, or tablet. Other tech brands are focused on specific category, and so best compared with their direct category competitors.
Apple dominates US device brands
Among online Americans, Apple’s brand footprint has grown slightly over the last two years, rising from 53% to 55%. During that same period, Samsung experienced a slight expansion from 31% to 33%, only to return to the 31% level. Dell, and HP have seen their brand footprint contract, each dropping by a full five percentage points. Some of this reduction has come from pandemic-related chaos: supply issues, channel challenges, shifts for some to work from home, and buyer’s economic struggles. Combined, these factors make buyers more likely to change their habits as well as their loyalties.
Looking ahead
To maintain its dominance, Apple needs to continue to provide enough value to its customers to stay within the fold. Apple has sought to walk the tightrope of high integration within its ecosystem while also balancing customer demands for openness and interoperability. There’s another side to captive stickiness. Brands that are seen as being too closed face the other side of a double-edged sword. Once customers move out of ecosystems or brand loyalty, they move quickly and fully. Meanwhile, other brands have mostly focused on competing within a specific product category. They have sought to build their perceived value through other means – availability, pricing, and the richness of their offerings.
About this TUPdate
TUPdates feature analysis of current or essential technology topics. The research results showcase the TUP/Technology User Profile study, MetaFacts’ survey of a representative sample of online adults profiling the full market’s use of technology products and services. The current wave of TUP is TUP/Technology User Profile 2021, which is TUP’s 39th annual. TUPdates may also include results from previous waves of TUP.
Current subscribers may use the comprehensive TUP datasets to obtain even more results or tailor these results to fit their chosen segments, services, or products. As subscribers choose, they may use the TUP inquiry service, online interactive tools, or analysis previously published by MetaFacts.
On request, interested research professionals can receive complimentary updates through our periodic newsletter. These include MetaFAQs – brief answers to frequently asked questions about technology users – or TUPdates – analysis of current and essential technology industry topics. To subscribe, contact MetaFacts.
Usage guidelines: This document may be freely shared within and outside your organization in its entirety and unaltered. To share or quote excerpts, please contact MetaFacts.
Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, September 1, 2021
Purchase plans – a key indicator
Online Americans have some of the most substantial purchase plans we have seen for years. Over 7,600 American respondents reported their detailed technology purchase plans, of which almost 5,000 respondents have any plans to buy PCs, smartphones, tablets, printers, or wearables. MetaFacts gathered these results between July 29 and August 19, 2021. Note: the final TUP/Technology User Profile 2021 results are based on 13,918 respondents in the US, UK, Germany, Japan, and China.
Purchase plans for PCs are nearly equal to smartphone purchase plans and are up firmly from one year ago
47% of online Americans plan to purchase a smartphone in the coming 12 months, and the rate is similar (45% for PC purchase plans
By comparison, in TUP 2020, 41% of Americans planned to purchase a smartphone, and 36% planned to buy a PC
Desktop plans are effectively equal for tower desktops as well as all-in-one designs, although both are lagging behind gaming desktops
Laptop purchase plans slightly lead desktop plans, as buyers prefer mobile PCs (even if it means only moving the PC around their house)
Wi-Fi + Cellular laptops are now on par with plans for non-Cellular laptops
Plans for tablets are much stronger than historical levels as users continue to experiment with working from home
Almost one-third (30%) of online Americans currently have tablet purchase plans
One year ago, only 23% of online Americans planned to buy a tablet in the coming 12 months
Plans for iPads are almost double the rate for Android tablets
Plans for iPhones are roughly 50% higher than the rate for Android smartphones
Plans for Apple Watches are almost double the rate for smartwatches for Android users
Planners of note
Americans working from home have stronger purchase plans than those not working from home. Even those who only occasionally work from home have stronger than average plans.
Americans planning to purchase a tablet or wearables (such as Apple Watch) have a higher than average share already using some type of Apple product (iPhone, iPad, Mac) as their primary or secondary connected device.
Wearable purchase plans are strongest among Americans already using some type of Wearable – Apple Watch, Android Wear or other smartwatch.
Looking ahead
Purchase intentions are a leading indicator of consumer interest. However, consumers are known to be fickle and current economic conditions are still in flux.
Other resources
Clients interested in drilling down into current results or comparing to prior waves can refer to the rows “810 Plans”. These results are included in the following table sets:
By Age Group, by Age Generations, By Country, By Employment/Age, By Employer Size, by Household Size, by Employer Industry, by Children Present, and by Work from Home Status
Customized tables are analysis are available by inquiry.
About MetaFAQs
MetaFAQs are answers to frequently asked questions about technology users. The research results showcase the TUP/Technology User Profile study, MetaFacts’ survey of a representative sample of online adults profiling the full market’s use of technology products and services. The current wave of TUP is TUP/Technology User Profile 2021, which is TUP’s 39th annual.
Current subscribers may use the comprehensive TUP datasets to obtain even more results or tailor these results to fit their chosen segments, services, or products. As subscribers choose, they may use the TUP inquiry service, online interactive tools, or analysis previously published by MetaFacts.
On request, interested research professionals can receive complimentary updates through our periodic newsletter. These include MetaFAQs – brief answers to frequently asked questions about technology users – or TUPdates – analysis of current and essential technology industry topics. To subscribe, contact MetaFacts.
LENSES: Devices, PCs, Tablets, Mobile Phones, User Profile
Usage guidelines: This document may be freely shared within and outside your organization in its entirety and unaltered. To share or quote excerpts, please contact MetaFacts.
Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, July 16, 2021
What do lawyer cat and Windows 11 have in common?
Embarrassment or fear of humiliation may boost home PC sales. If that doesn’t do it, staying connected and current will encourage home PC users to upgrade.
If you missed it, the “lawyer cat” viral meme recently had its day of fame. A tech-challenged lawyer compelled to participate in a mid-pandemic judicial hearing over Zoom got confused and embarrassed by having his face appear as a cat’s. Webcam software bundled with an older Dell PC featured a filter that changed a person’s image before being displayed through Zoom.
The lawyer cat meme has a connection to the upcoming launch of Microsoft Windows 11. There could be the fear of something going wrong using older PCs, especially those with older bundled software.
The newest version of the venerable operating system will reportedly require more robust hardware than is present in much of the installed base. The final requirements are still in flux. However, Windows 11 is likely to need users to have newer home PCs than what they’re actively using today.
Usage guidelines: This document may be freely shared within and outside your organization in its entirety and unaltered. To share or quote excerpts, please contact MetaFacts.
