iPhone Ownership Among American Teens Remains Steady While Intent to Purchase Grows - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iPhone Ownership Among American Teens Remains Steady While Intent to Purchase Grows

American teenagers are still choosing Apple's iPhone over the competition, with 82 percent of surveyed U.S. teens saying that they own an iPhone, according to Piper Jaffray's latest survey (via Business Insider).

This number has grown steadily from 76 percent in April 2017 to 78 percent in October 2017, and it now appears to have plateaued temporarily in 2018, as 82 percent of teens said they owned an iPhone back in April.

iphone xs selfies
Looking to the future, 86 percent of teens surveyed said that they plan on buying an iPhone as their next smartphone. This is an increase from 84 percent in the spring.

In comparison, 10 percent of the teens said they planned on buying an Android smartphone next, down from 11 percent in the spring. The researchers at Piper Jaffray say that American teens' intent to buy an iPhone is now at the highest they have ever seen.

piper jaffray teen 2018 fall
Other tidbits from the report include: 45 percent of teens saying that the brand of an item is the most important factor in a purchase decision, Amazon is the top preferred website, and Instagram is now the most used social platform as Facebook faces an ongoing decline. Netflix represented 38 percent of daily video consumption, ahead of YouTube (33 percent), cable TV (16 percent), and Hulu (5 percent).

For this survey, Piper Jaffray surveyed around 8,600 teenagers across 47 states with an average age of 16 and an average household income of $68,300. 44 percent of the teens were female, while 56 were male.

Popular Stories

Black Apple Event Logo

Apple Now Inviting Media to October 28 'Launch Experience'

Thursday October 15, 2026 4:13 am PDT by
Apple has begun inviting selected members of the media to a product launch experience in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a post on X, Gurman described the gathering as an "all-day product launch experience" for touchscreen MacBooks, a new iPad mini, and Macs equipped with M6 chips. Gurman previously reported that Apple would introduce the...
iPad mini 7 Review Thumb 1 sans text

Oops, Apple's Website Just Hinted at iPad Mini 8

Thursday October 15, 2026 5:27 pm PDT by
Apple has an unreleased iPad mini Smart Folio listed on its French regulatory website, hinting that a new iPad mini is coming. The case's A3632 model number doesn't match current or past iPad mini cases. Apple appears to have added the case to its website recently, and it's listed alongside iPhone 18 Pro accessories added in September. The listing doesn't include any iPad mini specs, but...
iPhone Handoff Feature

Verizon Will Charge $10 a Month for iPhone Handoff

Friday October 16, 2026 4:37 pm PDT by
Verizon plans to charge customers $10 per month for the iPhone Handoff feature that Apple added in iOS 27. iPhone Handoff allows one phone number to be shared across two separate iPhones. Pricing was included in Verizon's iPhone Duo announcement today, with the carrier confirming iPhone Handoff will work with the iPhone Duo and the iPhone 18 Pro models. Verizon will support iPhone Handoff,...

Top Rated Comments

ArtOfWarfare Avatar
104 months ago
When they say "teens intend to buy", I expect that there's a significant portion of the group that intend to have money from parents involved. And those parents could balk and veto whatever the teen wants.

Obviously those teens are price-insensitive. It doesn't matter how trivial the new features are, it's worth it because it's basically free to them.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TVreporter Avatar
104 months ago
Ah growing up as a teen it used to be wanting to have the cool footwear - Nike vs whoever.

This is much worse...
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
104 months ago
My kid used to play Minecraft and acted like it was the center of his universe.

Careful, kids can spin on a dime. Now he wants a Samsung phone because he can get an exclusive skin for Fortnite.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
x-evil-x Avatar
104 months ago
I miss my red pager I had in 98. I was ahead of the game :D
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KazKam Avatar
104 months ago
I'd say this bears out even past high school and into late teens, early twenties. I help develop the official app for a large university, both iOS and Android versions, and 70-75% of our daily active users are iPhone users, and our user base is a solid 80% of 35,000 students.

That says to me that the ratio of university-aged students owning iPhones vs. Android is extremely skewed toward iPhone vs the Android market share worldwide. Granted, university students also tend to come from more affluence in general, households where bargain Android handsets aren't pushed. Though we also tend to see a lot of college students owning 5s, 6, 6s... possibly hand-me-downs from siblings and parents, as iPhones do tend to have a longer life cycle.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tridley68 Avatar
104 months ago
Ah growing up as a teen it used to be wanting to have the cool footwear - Nike vs whoever.

This is much worse...
I agree my teen years we were worried about having an Alligator or a Polo horse on our shirts or sweaters.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Verizon Will Charge $10 a Month for iPhone Handoff
Verizon Will Charge $10 a Month for iPhone Handoff
12 hours ago
Apple Calls iPhone Duo Demand 'Extraordinary' After Orders Slip to 2027
Apple Calls iPhone Duo Demand 'Extraordinary' After Orders Slip to 2027
12 hours ago
New App Store Rules Target AI Deepfakes and Nudify Apps
New App Store Rules Target AI Deepfakes and Nudify Apps
13 hours ago
Didn't Pre-Order Apple's HomeView? Here's How Long the Wait is Now
Didn't Pre-Order Apple's HomeView? Here's How Long the Wait is Now
15 hours ago
Apple's $79 iPhone Duo Case Sticks On With Adhesive
Apple's $79 iPhone Duo Case Sticks On With Adhesive
15 hours ago
Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini Price Increases 'Much More Striking' Than New Features
Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini Price Increases 'Much More Striking' Than New Features
18 hours ago
The MacRumors Show: Was HomeView Worth the Wait?
The MacRumors Show: Was HomeView Worth the Wait?
19 hours ago
Apple Refers to HomeView as 'HomePodDevice' in Legal Document
Apple Refers to HomeView as 'HomePodDevice' in Legal Document
20 hours ago
Apple Pre-Orders Kick Off With First Discounts on HomeView and Apple TV 4K
Apple Pre-Orders Kick Off With First Discounts on HomeView and Apple TV 4K
21 hours ago
Developers Question Scope of Potential Apple Antitrust Settlement
Developers Question Scope of Potential Apple Antitrust Settlement
22 hours ago
iPhone Duo Resold for $5,000 on eBay After Selling Out
iPhone Duo Resold for $5,000 on eBay After Selling Out
22 hours ago
Massive Discounts Hit 2026 MacBook Pro With Up to $800 Off
Massive Discounts Hit 2026 MacBook Pro With Up to $800 Off
22 hours ago
iPhone Duo is Sold Out for Christmas as Shipping Estimates Slip to 2027
iPhone Duo is Sold Out for Christmas as Shipping Estimates Slip to 2027
22 hours ago
Didn't Pre-Order an iPhone Duo Yet? Wait Times Are Significant Now
Didn't Pre-Order an iPhone Duo Yet? Wait Times Are Significant Now
23 hours ago
First Apple TV 4K Pre-Order Discount Arrives at Amazon
First Apple TV 4K Pre-Order Discount Arrives at Amazon
23 hours ago
iPhone Duo Pre-Order Deals: The Best Carrier Offers From AT&T and T-Mobile
iPhone Duo Pre-Order Deals: The Best Carrier Offers From AT&T and T-Mobile
23 hours ago
iPhone Duo Now Available to Pre-Order From Apple
iPhone Duo Now Available to Pre-Order From Apple
23 hours ago
iPhone 18 Pro vs. iPhone Duo Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Choose?
iPhone 18 Pro vs. iPhone Duo Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Choose?
1 day ago
Apple Store Down Ahead of iPhone Duo Pre-Orders
Apple Store Down Ahead of iPhone Duo Pre-Orders
1 day ago
Oops, Apple's Website Just Hinted at iPad Mini 8
Oops, Apple's Website Just Hinted at iPad Mini 8
1 day ago
OLED MacBook Pro Won't Get M7 Chips Until Late 2027
OLED MacBook Pro Won't Get M7 Chips Until Late 2027
2 days ago
Apple Pledged $25 Million to Trump's White House Ballroom
Apple Pledged $25 Million to Trump's White House Ballroom
2 days ago
Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Launch on November 6
Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Launch on November 6
2 days ago
New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing
New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing
2 days ago
Meta and Apple Bring Muse Spark Open AI Model to Mac Studio
Meta and Apple Bring Muse Spark Open AI Model to Mac Studio
2 days ago
iPad Mini 8: Apple Has Tested Both 60Hz and 120Hz ProMotion Displays
iPad Mini 8: Apple Has Tested Both 60Hz and 120Hz ProMotion Displays
2 days ago
Apple TV 4K 2022 vs. 2026 Buyer's Guide: All Differences Compared
Apple TV 4K 2022 vs. 2026 Buyer's Guide: All Differences Compared
2 days ago
Apple CEO John Ternus on Early Foldables: 'Kind of Cheap and Crappy'
Apple CEO John Ternus on Early Foldables: 'Kind of Cheap and Crappy'
2 days ago
Greg Joswiak Says Apple Isn't Focused on Making AI for 'Lunatic Fringe'
Greg Joswiak Says Apple Isn't Focused on Making AI for 'Lunatic Fringe'
2 days ago
Amazon Offers $120 Discount on AirPods Max 2, $50 Off AirPods Pro 3
Amazon Offers $120 Discount on AirPods Max 2, $50 Off AirPods Pro 3
2 days ago