| News | Features | Interviews |
| Blog | Contact | Editorials |
| iPhone more popular among younger people than Android |
| By Thom Holwerda on 2012-10-10 20:41:47 |
| "Does Android skew towards a younger demographic? The numbers might surprise you. According to comScore, 52.4% of all Android users are aged 35 years or older. That is five percentage points higher than the iPhone. Near 55% Android tablets users are also older than 35." How is this surprising? Younger people tend to be more brand-conscious, and there's no denying that the iPhone is still perceived as cooler than Android phones. Also note that the cited figures are for the US, Apple's strong home market. I think the figures will look very different for Europe. |
|
| Comment by rain |
| By rain on 2012-10-11 01:42:02 |
|
I'm guessing that many of the older people do not want to buy a lifestyle device but rather a basic communication device so they don't want to spend a lot of money on it. And most of the lower end phones are androids, so it would make sense that they end up being android users. |
 - Score: 1 |
| Comment by mantrik00 |
| By mantrik00 on 2012-10-11 02:03:29 |
| In India, one of the largest telecom markets clocking one of the fastest growth rates, 87% users of smartphones (young & old) proudly own an Android phone. Apple is virtually a non entity (despite its perceived snob value). People should stop flashing headlines about the US market. The bulk of the global market share is here in India and China. |
| - Score: 3 |
| RE: Comment by mantrik00 |
| By jared_wilkes on 2012-10-11 02:24:34 |
| Mobile market share, yes. Smartphone market share, no. |
| - Score: 2 |
| RE: Umm... Duh? |
| By pos3 on 2012-10-11 03:48:41 |
| It won't hold out in India. We buy mobiles. Percentage of youngsters able to afford $900 mobiles is way less. Even when they can afford we tend to see the specs!. You would see iPhone more with business guys since it acts like a status symbol. |
| - Score: 1 |
| RE[2]: Comment by mantrik00 |
| By pos3 on 2012-10-11 03:50:44 |
| A smaller percentage in india could still eclipse entire US consumers!. Wait for year or 2. |
| - Score: 3 |
| RE: Demographics are juju |
| By pos3 on 2012-10-11 04:03:32 |
|
wealthier people have a preference for the iPhone - How would this affect in USA? Does it matter how wealthy you are when you can get a subsidized mobile? What i get is that young people desire iPhone looking at subsidized markets where price evens out. But prefer Android where they have to pay for it like India :) |
| - Score: 1 |
| Hong Kong and China example |
| By Lorin on 2012-10-11 05:41:05 |
|
I live in Shenzhen where I work which is at the border of Hong Kong and China. Last weekend I went to HK to buy a new phone, every store and vendor had long lines at the Samsung displays and sold out very quickly, the Apple stores were empty of customers along with the displays of Apple products in other stores. Going to the local malls in China, I see exactly the same thing, the age of the buyers is of no consequence here. |
| - Score: 2 |
| RE[2]: Demographics are juju |
| By jared_wilkes on 2012-10-11 06:20:54 |
|
This is exactly my point. The wealthiest consumers buy the iPhone, but the U.S. market presents greater access to a broader demographic (phones are subsidized, the majority will have to tolerate a relatively expensive contract or bills of comparable size to a contract, larger middle class and higher standard of living) so the iPhone achieves greater penetration with 30+% market share and we see a declining share % through the other more-developed, high-access markets down to the power, less-developed countries. So a reasonable presumption is that Apple retains the bulk of the high end of the market regardless of whether it has a higher or lower market share. Again, I'm presenting other equally seemingly "logical" "assumptions" that may or not be correct and we do not have the data for. Edited 2012-10-11 06:27 UTC |
| - Score: 2 |
| RE: Hong Kong and China example |
| By jared_wilkes on 2012-10-11 06:24:56 |
|
But you have said nothing about the age breakdown of the vast majority choosing Android or the small minority that is choosing the iPhone. That is my point. Greater market share doesn't necessarily or logically shift the demographic makeup of a product's purchasers. Again, it's more logical to presume that 1) either the age breakdown remains similar, or 2) with increased market share the demographic breakdown regresses to the mean. But we don't have the data to support any of these assumptions. |
| - Score: 3 |
| RE[2]: Umm... Duh? |
| By jared_wilkes on 2012-10-11 06:33:01 |
|
Yes, okay, you buy Android -- this does not affect the demographic background of iPhone buyers. I'm baffled by the lack of comprehension on this matter. Thom acts sarcastic about this being surprising but then everyone here is falling over the incorrect stereotype that only old people use iPhones. Even if there are fewer iPhones, it doesn't mean there are less young people choosing them amongst the audience of iPhone users. |
| - Score: 3 |
| News | Features | Interviews |
| Blog | Contact | Editorials |