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iPhone Ownership Among Teens Hits 87%, More Than Double Since 2012

Apple devices and services continue to be the most popular options among teenagers in the United States, according to new data shared today by investment firm Piper Sandler in its biannual teen survey.

iphone 14 gold
87 percent of teenagers surveyed own an iPhone, according to the results, and 88 percent of teens expect an iPhone to be their next phone. Over the course of the last 10 years, iPhone ownership among teens has more than doubled. Back in 2012, 40 percent of U.S. teens owned an iPhone, for example.

teen iphone ownership fall 2022
Piper Sandler suggests that high iPhone usage among teens bodes well for Apple's service products as well as continued product cycle refreshes.

We believe the elevated penetration and intention are important given the mature premium smartphone market. Additionally, these trends are encouraging as the company continues to introduce new iPhones, which could provide a significant product cycle refresh. We think these positive trends can also be a catalyst for further services growth as well, as the install base for Apple hardware continues to grow.

The Apple Watch is less popular, with just 31 percent of teens owning Apple's wristworn device, but the Apple Watch is by far the most popular smart watch among teens. 36.8 percent of teens reported owning a smart watch, so just 5.8 percent own smart watch that isn't an Apple Watch.

teen apple watch fall 2022
Piper Sandler has been hosting these teen surveys for more than a decade. For the most recent release, 14,500 teens with an average age of 15.8 were surveyed across 47 states.

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Top Rated Comments

WiiDSmoker Avatar
51 months ago
Nobody wants to be the green bubble.
Score: 62 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wanted797 Avatar
51 months ago
All the people who complain about Memoji and other gimmicks. This is why Apple does it.

Future investment.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GMShadow Avatar
51 months ago

How old are you? Were you in high school 10 years ago? What do you think played a role in that flip?
I do wonder if the longevity of iPhones is also playing a factor. Even a hand-me-down iPhone from Mom or Dad still supports iMessage.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GMShadow Avatar
51 months ago

Nobody wants to be the green bubble.
This is why Google's pushing their RCS crap so hard - they want to try and capture some of this market.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
51 months ago

So, iPhone now is officially a kid's phone.
Does that mean androids are for old people ?
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️ Avatar
51 months ago
As it should. 10 years from today the % will be tripled. iPhone Rules The World! 👑
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)