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

TAGS: Purchase plans, Purchasing plans, PCs, Desktops, Laptops, Notebooks, Mobile phones, Smartphones, Tablets, Wearables, Smartwatches, Printers

TAGS: Purchase plans, Purchasing plans, PCs, Desktops, Laptops, Notebooks, Mobile phones, Smartphones, Tablets, Wearables, Smartwatches, Printers