Category: Technology Ecosystems

“…as is often the case, we are navigating by the stars under cloudy skies.”

Jerome Powell – in an August 25, 2023 speech to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

To help our technology clients to navigate and create the future, we are pleased to announce that will soon be releasing results from the 41st 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 understanding 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.

Current subscribers may access the results through their own insights systems, the MetaFacts subscriber portal, or by contacting MetaFacts. For those interested in the full research results, please contact MetaFacts.

A few highlighted trends from TUP 2023

• Technology replacement rates and the economy
  • People are keeping their devices longer than ever, especially in the UK, Germany, and the US
  • Actively using used/refurbished devices is prominent among adults in the UK and the US

• Longer-term product trends
  • Smartwatches have gained moderate market penetration, although most buying and plans are for replacements and less so among first-time smartwatch users
  • Touchscreens and voice control have not gone mainstream for computers, even though they’re fundamental on smartphones
  • Foldables have gotten effectively nowhere, despite the early hype (do you remember?)
  • VR headsets are still a dream for the future (maybe Apple’s shift in positioning VR headsets for the mass market will open new doors)
  • Wearable cameras (e.g. GoPro) never really took off, although people certainly use their smartphones for photos and videos

• Longer-term user trends
  • The phenomenon of actively using many devices has reversed and continues to slide as mainstream users consolidate their life’s activities on smartphones
  • Users age although not quite in the way many stereotypes portray: today’s active installed base is made up older adults than 10 or 20 years ago, as yesterday’s early adopters continue to deepen their use of technology products and services. This is especially the case in the US, Germany, UK, and Japan
  • Very few activities are exclusively done using computers or tablets
  • The vast majority (three in four) of American remote workers expect to be working from home in one year from now
  • Adults in larger households and with families continue to spend more time using their devices
  • Larger households and families continue their historical trend of using more technology devices and services than average
  • In 2023, we’re seeing a resurgence in tablets after a long slide. Is this a blip?
  • Those expecting to be working from home a year from now have stronger purchase plans, especially for desktop computers, tablets, and wearables
  • Moms are returning to the workforce
  • Even before remote working was boosted by Covid, fewer employers provided computers and relied on employees to bring their own devices
  • More employees use a home computer than use an employer-provided computer
  • In the UK, UK, Japan, and China, Millennials use PCs for more weekly hours than other generations
  • Working from home and Covid somehow hasn’t encouraged most employees to pay for employee’s phone service
  • The majority of online adults in the US, UK, Japan, and China own their dwelling. In Germany, most online adults rent.
  • A quarter of US, UK, and Japanese online adults only have one person in their households. In Germany, this share is higher and among online upper-SES adults in China, the share is smaller
  • Personal use of workplace printers was widespread (if not talked about) and had been interrupted by remote work. However, this did not boost home printing.
  • Seniors 55+ are a substantial share of the online population in the US, Germany, UK, and Japan

• Longer-term device trends
  • A declining share of people around the world are actively using computers or printers
  • There is a growing group of people using a home printer without a home PC, and instead printing wirelessly from their smartphone or tablet

• Longer-term device activity trends
  • Collaboration still isn’t mainstream, although it’s getting stronger
  • Email is tied with phone calls as the most widespread communication method
  • Well over half of online adults regularly use their connected devices to play games, and the rate among Gen Z adults is over two-thirds
  • Zoom fatigue is very real (and not only evidenced by Zoom employees needing to curtail remote work)

• Product and brand specifics
  • X/Twitter goofed up, or at least millions of people believe so by their lack of recent usage
  • Active use of wireless item trackers such as Tile or Apple AirTag has exceeded 10% of adults globally, and rate is twice as high among Gen Z adults.
  • X/Twitter self-disruption primarily benefited the Meta family
  • HP has the highest printer share among Americans, although among Gen Z adults, HP’s share is tied with Canon
  • Instagram Threads experienced a rapid uptake, primarily among existing Instagram users. Time will tell if it’s sustainable.
  • Android tablets have their highest share among Millennial and Gen Z adults, although among these generations Apple’s iPad has nearly twice that share
  • Dell’s focus & reliance on PCs has cost its market penetration
  • Over a third of American Gen Z adults use a PC acquired in the last 12 months, versus less than one in six Boomer/Silent generation adults
  • Twice the share of Gen Z American adults use an Apple Mac as their primary computer than Boomer/Silent generation Americans
  • HP’s elder user PC base has hurt and helped HP, as this group hasn’t included the most active buyers, although this group also hasn’t been quick to defect to other brands or platforms
  • Globally, three-fourths of online adults use a printer. Among Gen Z adults this rate is lower – two-thirds.
  • HP continues to dominate the printer market in the US, UK, and Germany. In China, HP still leads, although by a slim margin. In Japan, local brands continue to fare better.
  • Nearly two-thirds of Gen Z Americans actively use an Apple Mac, iPhone, or iPad, versus just under half of Gen X and older Americans
  • Half of Gen Z Americans actively use a game console, while only one in four Gen X adults do
  • Apple continues to have the broadest and largest ecosystem footprint, and it has continued to broaden
  • Half of American adults are using a smartphone that is 1.5 years old or newer. Among Gen Z American adults, the average smartphone is 15 months old.
  • Gen Z and Millennials are the strongest consumers of mobile printing services
  • Apple/Android smartphone platform switching/churning continues to be low
  • Apple Macs have twice the penetration among Gen Z adults as among Gen X and older adults
  • More of those Americans who print newsletters or greeting cards or wirelessly have printer purchase plans
  • Agewise, Apple’s active customer base is more like Nintendo’s or Sony’s than Dell’s, HP’s, or Lenovo’s
  • Apple’s best device customers, those that use two or more Apple devices (a Mac, iPhone, or iPad), skew younger.
  • Online adults in the UK and US have twice the rate of adults in Germany or Japan to have two or more Apple devices – an iPhone, Mac, or iPad.
  • Apple is most-used device for every one of the 1,802 Gen Z adults we surveyed across the US, Germany, UK, Japan, and China. (iPhone, Mac, or iPad)
  • A higher share of online Americans use voice commands with their primary device than online adults in the UK, Germany, or Japan. In the UK and Germany, earlier generations (Gen X, Boomers, Silent) have less-recent usage.
  • Larger households have newer primary devices, whether it is smartphone, tablet, or computer.
  • Globally, online adults aged 18 to 24 are twice as likely to be using an Apple Mac than adults who are aged 50 and up.
  • Only in the US are Apple laptops being used by as many adults aged 18 to 24 than use Windows PCs
  • iPads have made inroads with Germany’s younger adults, while older users are more Android-focused
  • In all countries surveyed except Germany, Apple’s iPhone has higher penetration among adults aged 18-34 than older adults. In Germany Android smartphones lead among online adults aged 25 and up.
• Current observations about technology users
  • Not all of the youngest adults are the most active with their connected devices – the youngest employed adults are. Older adults not working outside of the home are the least active.
  • Americans have a lower employment rate (FT/PT) than other countries, partly due to self-employment and gig working
  • In the US, UK, and China, more workers work from home as do not. In Germany and Japan, it’s the opposite.
  • In the US and Germany, workers who work from home have higher incomes than those who don’t. This is driven by many factors, from educational attainment and socioeconomic privilege to the type of work people are doing.
  • Employees in IT/FIRE/Professional jobs use computers for more hours than employees in other industries
  • Workers who work from home use their connected devices for more hours than workers who do not work from home, which includes smartphones and tablets
  • In every country surveyed, older adults (50+) had the smallest share never working from home. In Germany, youngest adults also stand out for having never worked from home.
  • Each younger generation has a higher share that use a home computer for getting work done.
  • Over 40% of online adults in the US and UK do not expect to be working from home in one year from now. In Germany, the rate is 49%.
  • Around one-third of online adults in the US, Germany, UK, and Japan actively use a home computer for work-related activities
  • Half of online adults in the US and UK use a smartphone for any work-related activities.
  • In the US and Japan, there is not a significant age difference between workers who never work from home. In Germany and the UK, older workers are more likely to be never working from home.
  • In the US, UK, and Germany, older workers are more likely to say they expect to never work from home in a one year than younger workers.
  • Younger workers are more likely to collaborate on work files using a home computer than older workers.
  • Employees of medium and larger employers have a higher likelihood of never working from home than those working for smaller employers. Employees expect this situation to be similar in one year.
  • Workers in the IT/FIRE/Professional industries have the highest share that currently always work from home.
  • Unlike workers in the UK, Germany, Japan, or China, Americans have the highest share that always work from home or the majority of the time
  • Almost half of online American workers who work from home use a home computer for work-related activities.
  • More workers in the US, Germany, Japan, and China use a home computer for work activities than use an employer-provided computer. For workers in the UK, the share is effectively the same.
  • Globally, whether someone uses any PC or not does not vary substantially with age. Among online American and Japanese adults, the skew is towards older users. In the UK and Japan, the opposite is true.
  • Use of game consoles is very related to age. Twice or as many as six times the share of online adults aged 18 to 24 actively use a game console as compared to those aged 50 and up.
  • Apple home computers are used more often among adults age 18 to 24 than older adults in the US, Germany, and UK. In Japan, Apple’s market penetration is similar by age groups.
  • Globally, whether someone actively uses a home computer or not does not vary substantially with age. Among online American, German, and Japanese adults, the skew is towards older users. In the UK and Japan, the opposite is true.
  • Among online adults in the US and UK, active printer use is highest among older adults. In Japan, it’s highest among the youngest and oldest age groups. Among upper-SES adults in China, penetration is highest among adults aged 25 to 49.
  • Workers in larger companies are more likely to use a work printer than those working in smaller companies.
  • Globally, younger adults use a computer they have acquired more recently than those used by older adults.
  • Younger online adults in the US are more likely to be using a used/refurbished PC than a new one.
  • Younger adults are more likely to be using a used/refurbished smartphone than older adults
  • Japan has the lowest active printer penetration rate of the countries surveyed, while Germany has the highest.
  • Worldwide, younger adults (age 18-24) use their devices for more hours than older adults. This is driven in large part by the youthful enthusiasm of younger upper-SES Chinese adults, and extra-active Germans balancing out their less-intensive although numerous older counterparts
  • In the US, UK, and among China’s upper-SES adults, total smartphone hours surpass hours using computers. In Germany and Japan, total computer hours lead.
  • Worldwide and in each country surveyed, the most-used combination of devices is to have a home computer, a smartphone, and no tablet. Having all three of these or only a smartphone are 2nd and 3rd and nearly equal. In Germany and China, using only a smartphone is ranked a distant 3rd. Conversely, in Japan, using all three is a distant 3rd. There is no significant difference by age group.

Pre-pandemic (TUP 2019) through the current time (TUP 2023)

• A return to vigor among technology consumers?
  • Will 2023 herald the return of dynamism to market demand among consumers for technology products and services? Early adopter technology attitudes are showing a positive correlation with how consumers feel and what they believe and their purchasing behavior.

• 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?
    • For more details, see this TUP Lens: TUP Work Life Balance Lens
    • Or, see these topics: Work from home, Work-related activities, or Employees
    • Also, see these MetaFAQs or TUPDates: Most employees work from home and expect to be in one year, and How employees working from home are balancing their activities
• Shifts in how connected devices are being used
  • 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?
    • See this TUP Lens: TUP Activities Lens
    • Or see these topics: Devices, Primacy
    • Also, see this MetaFAQs or TUPdate: Smartphones achieve usage primacy
• Device use
  • 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?
  • In 2023, we’re seeing a return to life for tablets
  • See these TUP Lenses: TUP Tablets Lens, TUP Devices Lens, TUP Activities Lens
• Trends in communication activities
  • 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?
  • See these TUP Lenses: TUP Communication Lens, TUP Activities Lens
  • Or these topics: Communication or Video calls
• Technology ecosystems
  • 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?
  • See this TUP Lens: TUP Technology Ecosystems Lens
  • Or these topics: Operating systems, Apple iOS, Microsoft Windows, Android, or Technology Ecosystems
• Technology brands
  • 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?
  • See these TUP Lenses: Devices; PCs; Mobile Phones; Tablets; Technology Ecosystems
  • Or these topics: HP, Dell, Samsung, Apple
• Shifts within key market segments
  • 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?
  • See this TUP Lens: User Profile
  • Or these topics: Age groups, Employment status, Students, Parents, Sociodemographics
• Purchase plans
  • Which technology are Americans planning to purchase? Which technology are remote workers planning to purchase? Which technology are new remote workers planning to purchase?
  • See this TUP Lens: TUP Work Life Balance Lens
  • Or see this topic: Purchase plans

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.

For more information

For definitive, fact-based answers to the above questions, please contact MetaFacts to learn how your insights group can subscribe to the MetaFacts TUP/Technology User Profile service.