Teen iPhone Ownership Hits an All-Time High in Long-Running Survey

The iPhone continues to be the most popular smartphone among U.S. teens, a title that it has held for many years, according to new data gathered by investment firm Piper Sandler for its most recent semiannual teen survey in the United States.

iphonelineupguide b
85 percent of teens surveyed own an ‌iPhone‌, and 88 percent expect an ‌iPhone‌ to be their next phone, both of which are new all-time survey highs, but it's worth keeping in mind that most of these respondents are from higher-income families. Last year, 83 percent of teens surveyed owned an ‌iPhone‌, and 86 percent planned to purchase.

8 percent of teens said they planned to purchase an Android, down from 10 percent in the year-ago survey.

Teen interest in the ‌iPhone‌ has been strong since the beginning of these surveys, but has grown steadily every year. In 2020, Apple is expected to release 5G iPhones and a new, more affordable ‌iPhone‌ SE option, which could cause teen ‌iPhone‌ adoption numbers to grow even further.

This year's survey also took a look at the AirPods. 52 percent of teens said that they own a set of AirPods, and of those that don't own AirPods, 18 percent plan to purchase them within a year.

Teen customers are important to Apple as brand loyalty will inspire them to continue purchasing products in the Apple ecosystem for years to come.

Piper Sandler's "Taking Stock With Teens" survey asked 5,200 teenagers with an average age of 16.2 and a median household income of $65,600 about their purchasing habits and brand preferences. Piper Jaffray merged with Sandler O'Neill earlier this year, hence the new name, but this survey as been ongoing since 2001.

Popular Stories

Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Apple Says These Vehicle Brands Plan to Offer All-New CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust...
vision pro video recording

WSJ: Some Apple Vision Pro Buyers 'Feel Total Regret'

Friday May 16, 2025 7:43 am PDT by
Apple's Vision Pro headset has left many early adopters expressing dissatisfaction over its weight, limited use cases, and sparse software ecosystem, according to a new article from The Wall Street Journal. In the year following the device's launch, user feedback suggests that it has failed to meet expectations for comfort, software support, and social acceptance. In interviews conducted by T...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Could Debut Advanced Silicon Battery Tech

Friday May 16, 2025 8:00 am PDT by
The upcoming all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air could become the first Apple smartphone to adopt advanced battery technology, with Japanese supplier TDK preparing to ship its new generation of silicon-anode batteries by the end of June. According to DigiTimes, TDK CEO Noboru Saito revealed in a recent interview that the Apple supplier has accelerated its production timeline, moving shipments...
fortnite apple featured

Apple Says Fortnite for iOS Isn't Blocked Worldwide, Just the U.S.

Friday May 16, 2025 9:58 am PDT by
Apple today clarified that it has not blocked Epic Games from updating the iOS Fortnite app in the European Union, but it is not planning to allow Epic Games to offer Fortnite in the United States App Store at the current time. In a statement to Bloomberg, Apple said that Epic Games tied its U.S. App Store submission to the update that was also being submitted to the Epic Games Store for iOS ...

Top Rated Comments

topgunn Avatar
67 months ago
No teen wants to be a green bubble friend.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Royksöpp Avatar
67 months ago
My teenage niece was looking at a new phone and I jokingly said what about an android? Her reaction was priceless.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
trusso Avatar
67 months ago
"Get 'em while they're young!"

;)
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NickName99 Avatar
67 months ago
iPhones are the cool phones with teens, and Android nerds can’t convince teens otherwise. ?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Strokee Avatar
67 months ago

My teenage niece was looking at a new phone and I jokingly said what about an android? Her reaction was priceless.
This story would be infinitely cooler if you actually shared what your niece's reaction was. As is, we're left to simply speculate:

- did she squeal with excitement?
- did she spit on you?
- did she start crying?
- did she kick you and run?

We're still left wondering what's in the center of a Tootsie Pop.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69Mustang Avatar
67 months ago
Fit's my personal anecdote. Both my teens own iPhones. Not sure it means much though. They both wanted them for the same reason: their friends have them and they all use iMessage together.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)