Survey Explains How ‘iPhone Obsessed’ Teens Really Are

If you needed any more proof of the staying power of Apple’s brand, look no further: a new survey shows that, yet again, the iconic iPhone is far and away the most popular smartphone brand among U.S. teenagers. What’s more, a record-setting 81 percent of surveyed teens indicated that their next phone would be an iPhone.

Even though the iPhone has been the most popular smartphone among teens for a number of years now, teen interest in Apple-made smartphones shows no signs of waning. Piper Jaffray’s Spring 2017 edition of its survey, “Taking Stock with Teens”, shows that a whopping 76 percent of American adolescents own an iPhone. That is the highest ownership level the investment firm has ever recorded in its survey of teen spending and consumption habits, which it releases semi-annually.

In fact, iPhone ownership among teens, as well as their intent to stay with the brand, has continued to grow unabated for Piper Jaffray’s last four survey periods. For comparison, last spring, Piper Jaffray reported that 69 percent of the Snapchat and Instagram-inclined youths owned iPhones, and that 75 percent of them expected their next smartphone to be of Apple manufacture.

As Piper Jaffray notes: “Apple continued to grow smartphone share among teens with 76% of teens owning an iPhone vs 74% in Fall-16. We view the survey as a positive data point on iPhone 7 demand and excitement around the upcoming launch of the 10th anniversary iPhone.” 

That’s great news for Apple investors, who’ve been bullish about its stock and the impending release of the iPhone (8, Edition, X). The tenth anniversary iPhone is expected to come with a slew of new features, including wireless charging capabilities, an OLED display with 18.5:9 aspect ratio, and no Home button.

It’s also pretty dismal news for Android and Samsung, in particular, which recently unveiled its Galaxy S8 following a viral “Unbox Your Phone” video ad campaign. Piper Jaffray’s Spring 2017 survey, which polled 5,500 teens across 43 states, suggests that 16-year olds’ enthusiasm for their iPhones hasn’t dimmed just yet. Quite the opposite, teens across the U.S. seem intent on ditching their Androids. Just 13 percent of teens in Piper Jaffray’s latest survey said that their next phone would be an Android, down from 17 percent in the last one.

Apple on the other hand has no intention of slowing its roll or ad game. The company, which has a long track record of innovative marketing, recently announced that it is teaming up with cast members of Saturday Night Live to film a custom ad spot, undoubtedly expanding Apple’s cool factor.