Purchase plans for smartphones and tablets by OS, country, and age

Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, October 27, 2021

Apple and Android purchase plans by country

  • Globally, slightly more adults plan to buy an iPhone as plan to buy an Android smartphone
    • 19% of global adults plan to buy an iPhone in the next 12 months, while 16% have similar plans for an Android smartphone
    • Apple leads in the US with 20% having iPhone purchase plans compared to 14% for Android smartphones
    • In Japan, the gap is narrowly tilted towards Apple among the small share with brand-specific plans
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Key ecosystems penetration [MetaFAQs]

Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, September 22, 2021

OS penetration by country

  • Windows penetration leads Apple and Google in every country surveyed
    • Primarily driven by the use of Windows PCs
  • In Germany, Google/Android penetration is much higher than Apple and highest among the countries surveyed
  • In the US and UK, Apple’s penetration is near to the penetration of Windows
  • In Germany, Japan, and China, Microsoft Windows dominates
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Samsung laptop progress [TUPdate]

Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, April 28, 2021

Samsung’s laptop PC announcements

This week Samsung announced its most recent slate of laptop PCs. While Samsung may be well known for smartphones, Android tablets, and even refrigerators, its PCs have not achieved such notoriety. Samsung has a tall hill to climb to gain market acceptance with its PCs. Its latest focus is on leveraging its smartphone brand with mobile PCs that have smartphone-like attributes. The announcements went beyond the traditional PC specs to focus on smoother and more highly integrated workflows, and the benefits of a Samsung ecosystem.

Samsung’s current market position is well behind Apple’s. Among online adults in the US and UK, Samsung’s market penetration for any connected devices is in the one-third range, well behind Apple, having reached half of online adults. In Japan, the gap is even wider between Samsung and Apple. In contrast, the tables are turned in Android-dominated Germany.

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Samsung and Apple users by age group and country [MetaFAQs]

Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, April 23, 2021

Samsung and Apple each have their most substantial market penetration with their smartphones. Each company is striving to deepen its connection to its core base with PCs/Macs and tablets. There is a distinct difference in market penetration by age group. This MetaFAQs details the device-type penetration of Samsung and Apple’s smartphones, PCs, and tablets by age group in 2020 in the US, UK, Germany, and China.

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Samsung and Apple’s device type penetration within core [MetaFAQs]

Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, April 22, 2021

Samsung and Apple have intensely competitive offerings with their smartphones, PCs, and tablets. Each company is vying to deepen its connection to its core base so customers of one device type will also use other types. One measure of loyalty is the range of device types that customers actively use. This MetaFAQs details the device-type penetration of Samsung and Apple’s smartphones, PCs, and tablets within each of their respective core bases in 2020 in the US, UK, Germany, and China.

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Samsung and Apple’s core penetration [MetaFAQs]

Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, April 21, 2021

How does Apple’s and Samsung’s brand footprint vary by country? What share of online adults are using a smartphone, PC, or tablet from either Apple or Samsung? This MetaFAQs details the market penetration of Samsung and Apple’s core products – smartphones, PCs, or tablets – in 2020 in the US, UK, Germany, and China.

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Multi OS jugglers – finger foibles [TUPdate]

Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, May 30, 2019

Finger foibles? Muscle memory? Most of us have done it – found our fingers fumbling for a key that isn’t on this keyboard, tapping a screen that’s not touch-sensitive, or expecting some function that’s not available on the device we’re using. Juggling devices across multiple operating system ecosystems can reveal our learned shortcuts and ingrained habits. And, a multi-OS experience affects most of us. More than two-thirds (69%) of online adults use two or more of the major operating systems – Windows, Android, iOS, or MacOS. Put another way, less than a third of online Americans use only one OS.

Who are these focused users who have chosen to stay within a single OS ecosystem, and how numerous are they? And, who are the flexible cross-platform savants who find a way to manage moving betwixt and between their collection of devices and ecosystems?

Who has the fanboys?

Microsoft Windows can rightly claim that they have the largest active base of dedicated fans. Over half (53%) of American adults who use a single OS are using Windows. As dedicated as they are, this group is relatively small, made up of only one in six (17%) online American adults.

This is based on TUP/Technology User Profile 2018, conducted among 7,521 online adults.

Those only using Apple iOS are fewer in number. Among single-OS users, they number just over one-fourth (28%). This is less than one in ten American adults, at 9%.

Even smaller is the hardy band of Android-only users, at one-sixth (17%) of single-US users and 5% of American adults.

What do the the flexible use?

Among the 69% of online American adults that use multiple OS ecosystems, Microsoft Windows is the most prevalent, with over half (57%) of online adults, and 83% of those who use more than one OS. So, anyone hoping to reach a broader market needs to seriously include Windows in their target platforms.

Those using Apple iOS or Google Android and nearly anything else are nearly equal in number. Just over half (53%) of those using multiple platforms are using Google Android, and slightly under half (48%) are using Apple iOS devices.

Which OS has the highest fan concentration?

If it’s not enough to have the greatest number of dedicated fans, their concentration matters. Microsoft Windows has the highest share of its users that are solely focused on devices with the OS ecosystem. Almost one fourth (23%) of Windows users only use Windows devices. Apple’s iOS has nearly the same level of fandom. Twenty-one percent of iOS users only use iOS devices, whether iPhones or iPads. Android has the lowest level of concentration, with only 13% that only use Android devices.

Who are the fanboys and flexible?

At first glance, its notable that the single-OS users are older than multi-OS jugglers. The median age of a single-US user is 50 years and that of a multi-OS user is 41. This difference is supported by the dominance of Windows PC users and Android Smartphone/Tablet users – older than their multi-OS counterparts. The median age of Windows-only users is 55, a baker’s dozen more years older than the median age of 42 for those using Windows along with any other major OS.

Are platforms used differently?

The smartphone is the device of choice for nearly every type activity by multiple-OS users and single-OS users, with a few exceptions. Those who use Windows as their single OS primarily use a tower desktop for most of their activities. Also, those using multiple operating systems choose a tower desktop for their cloud storage/sharing activities.

Looking ahead

Although there are cross-platform apps that span OS ecosystems, many of them behave differently from platform to platform. Even small differences stymie users who are looking for a smooth experience across their devices, and especially doesn’t help those with a strong finger memory. Developers face a perennial Procrustean dilemma – either uniquely optimizing for each platform or offering an identical, if somehow substandard, experience.

High cross-platform compatibility is the nearest thing to the elusive “killer app” or “silver bullet”. OS ecosystems will be helped mostly by apps that offer enough functionality to entice users, yet not quite enough compatibility to lose the ecosystem’s unique cachet.

About TUPdates

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 2020, which is TUP’s 38th 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. It may not be used in a generative AI system without express written permission and licensing. To share or quote excerpts, please contact MetaFacts.

Apple, Google, Microsoft – paths of expansion and contraction [TUPdate]

Dan Ness, Principal Analyst, MetaFacts, May 8, 2019

There are many ways to serve technology users, and each family of operating systems – Apple’s, Google’s, and Microsoft – have expanded in different ways. While Windows-driven products are being actively used by nearly three-fourths (73%) of U.S. online adults, Apple MacOS and iOS devices and Google Android devices are each being used by half.

Device penetration by ecosystem

This is based on the results of our TUP/Technology User Profile 2018 and 2017 surveys, with sample sizes of 14,273 and 13,572, respectively, with 7,886 in the US.

Each OS family leads in their own way. Apple has more than 10% of Americans using one of five types of devices: Smartphone, Tablet, PC (Macs), and a TV set top box and service, or watch. Google Android/Chrome OS has a different set of five types, with speakers stronger than Apple and PCs weaker than any other. Microsoft Windows only has 10% or more of Americans using one of two categories: PC or Tablet.

Penetration growth for Apple

While market penetration is one important measure, even more telling is active device quantity. The average number of actively used devices has shifted in the US as well as in other major markets. Between 2017 and 2018, the average number of Apple devices in active use rose from 2.2 to 2.3 in the US, 2.0 to 2.1 in China, and 1.6 to 2.0 in India. Meanwhile, Windows use has declined across all markets surveyed.

Apple stabilizes in the US

Netting together the various Apple OS product categories, Apple’s footprint in the US did not change between 2017 and 2018. Growth within that base has been with a broader adoption of Apple TV. In India, Apple’s penetration has risen markedly, reaching 45% of online adults in India. Most of the growth has come from two strongly accepted products: Apple TV and Apple Watch.

Apple’s expansion in India

Looking ahead

We’re likely to see a further fragmented world, with Apple focusing primarily on breadth and Google on initial penetration. Apple will continue to focus on deepening their relationships with their customers while Google will continue its conquest for new customers. Apple’s direction will be one of expanding services and commensurate revenue streams, serving their unique customer base more deeply. Meanwhile, Google’s direction will be mostly about supporting any devices or services that will help them expand their data acquisition and advertising businesses. Apple’s expanded emphasis on privacy and security will play well with their existing customers and more importantly may yet attract users further away from the Google ecosystem. Beyond the speeds and feeds of the latest gadget, these softer issues of privacy and security are likely to help Apple more than Google.

About TUPdates

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 2020, which is TUP’s 38th 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. It may not be used in a generative AI system without express written permission and licensing. To share or quote excerpts, please contact MetaFacts.