Apple products join cash & clothes atop teens' Christmas wishlists
More than anything, American teenagers want cash, clothes and Apple products, like the iPhone and iPad, for Christmas, a new survey has found.
The latest data from Piper Jaffray, released on Monday, shows that Apple products have been gaining in popularity with teenagers over the last four years. The firm has been tracking teen trends closely for the last 11 years, with an annual poll of between 5,000 and 10,000 teens conducted each fall.
The latest data for fall 2011 shows that 3.4 percent of respondents want an iPhone for Christmas, 2.5 percent have asked for an iPad, 2.1 percent want some form of iPod, and 1.3 percent specifically want the iPod touch. Another 1.1 percent also said they want a Mac for Christmas, while 0.9 percent asked for some other form of an Apple product, such as an iTunes gift card.
In all, about 11 percent of teens specifically mentioned some form of Apple product at the top of their wish list, up from 7 percent in the fall of 2008. That growth has mostly come from the Mac and iOS devices, which 9 percent of teens this year said they want as a gift.
Putting Apple's numbers in perspective, just 0.3 percent of respondents mentioned Microsoft's Xbox 360 gaming console, while 0.4 percent said they want a Sony PlayStation 3. In fact, the only gifts that came out ahead of Apple were cash, with 22 percent, and clothes, at 15 percent.
Piper Jaffray's poll includes data collected from teenagers at a series of on-location surveys conducted at schools across the U.S. between Aug. 29 and Sept. 27, as well as an online survey.
The results of the survey match up with a previous poll revealed earlier this month by Nielsen, which found that among children ages 13 and up, 24 percent said they are interested in buying an iPad in the next six months. The iPhone and iPod touch were also among the top gifts for teens this year in that poll.
The latest data from Piper Jaffray, released on Monday, shows that Apple products have been gaining in popularity with teenagers over the last four years. The firm has been tracking teen trends closely for the last 11 years, with an annual poll of between 5,000 and 10,000 teens conducted each fall.
The latest data for fall 2011 shows that 3.4 percent of respondents want an iPhone for Christmas, 2.5 percent have asked for an iPad, 2.1 percent want some form of iPod, and 1.3 percent specifically want the iPod touch. Another 1.1 percent also said they want a Mac for Christmas, while 0.9 percent asked for some other form of an Apple product, such as an iTunes gift card.
In all, about 11 percent of teens specifically mentioned some form of Apple product at the top of their wish list, up from 7 percent in the fall of 2008. That growth has mostly come from the Mac and iOS devices, which 9 percent of teens this year said they want as a gift.
Putting Apple's numbers in perspective, just 0.3 percent of respondents mentioned Microsoft's Xbox 360 gaming console, while 0.4 percent said they want a Sony PlayStation 3. In fact, the only gifts that came out ahead of Apple were cash, with 22 percent, and clothes, at 15 percent.
Piper Jaffray's poll includes data collected from teenagers at a series of on-location surveys conducted at schools across the U.S. between Aug. 29 and Sept. 27, as well as an online survey.
The results of the survey match up with a previous poll revealed earlier this month by Nielsen, which found that among children ages 13 and up, 24 percent said they are interested in buying an iPad in the next six months. The iPhone and iPod touch were also among the top gifts for teens this year in that poll.
Comments
I wouldn't have expected iPod Touch sales to drop YoY.
At this stage, I'm not surprised. First there's the saturation of the iPod market. Second is the expansion of the iPhone (HOW ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE AFFORDING DATA PLANS?!). Third, and I only mention this because someone else who wants to whine about it will, there's the lack of a hardware update this year.
At this stage, I'm not surprised. First there's the saturation of the iPod market. Second is the expansion of the iPhone (HOW ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE AFFORDING DATA PLANS?!). Third, and I only mention this because someone else who wants to whine about it will, there's the lack of a hardware update this year.
the ipod touch needs A5. that chip would've made it number 1 choice for teens.
I love apple's products. however i usually hate kids that can afford them (except de iPod). it's bad for apple's name.
This seems to contradict the Android blogs that insist Apple is losing its cool factor with the young and that those young are moving in droves to the Google platform. Or is that just an Android RDF?
As a regular surfer of Android blogs I have yet to see that...could you link me?
I love apple's products. however i usually hate kids that can afford them (except de iPod). it's bad for apple's name.
If you can afford them, you can afford them. Afford is the key. There are kids with iPods whose parents should have spent that money on food. There are kids with iPods who got them with the money they saved from loose jobs around the neighborhood or a minimum wage paid position somewhere.
What confuses me is parents getting iPhones for 11-17 year olds. No way can these kids afford their own service, so it's obviously the parent paying for it, and I can't imagine what an 11 year old needs with the entire Internet in his pocket, accessible at any time. Not to mention the texting and picture messages and all that iffy jazz.
This seems to contradict the Android blogs that insist Apple is losing its cool factor with the young and that those young are moving in droves to the Google platform. Or is that just an Android RDF?
Filling the hierarch low-end of a product category (pyramid) and losing your desirability factor are not the same thing. Android OS installed on devices will continue to grow quickly but Apple will still be the most desired brand for the foreseeable future.
What confuses me is parents getting iPhones for 11-17 year olds. No way can these kids afford their own service, so it's obviously the parent paying for it, and I can't imagine what an 11 year old needs with the entire Internet in his pocket, accessible at any time. Not to mention the texting and picture messages and all that iffy jazz.
lol I was just having that discussion with my cousin regarding the iPhone (and smartphones period) and kids. NO WAY IN HELL should a child have an iPhone or even an Android phone (low or high end, the plans are expensive as hell for no legitimate reason)
iPod touch or iPad make sense...but anything requiring a plan? no.
(Post 1,000...thank you all for your time)
also having been on the net for a long long long time no way in hell would my daughter ever get a phone that can both take photos and send them out effortlessly from me.
Far too many naked friends online -_- (pro and con of course)
lol I was just having that discussion with my cousin regarding the iPhone (and smartphones period) and kids. NO WAY IN HELL should a child have an iPhone or even an Android phone (low or high end, the plans are expensive as hell for no legitimate reason)
iPod touch or iPad make sense...but anything requiring a plan? no.
(Post 1,000...thank you all for your time)
I disagree about "dependents" with smartphones. They are very useful tools for children and even for parents when used by children. I understand that monthly plans can get pricey but that shouldn't be the primary reason it's unacceptable.
It wasn't too long ago that buying a PC for a child was considered excessive. Before that having more than one TV. If you want to help the average child keep the TV out of their bedroom, regardless of how inexpensive they become.
also having been on the net for a long long long time no way in hell would my daughter ever get a phone that can both take photos and send them out effortlessly from me.
Far too many naked friends online -_- (pro and con of course)
There are parental controls and even more granular control using Profiles that can block the camera from being used or only allow emails an iMessages from select recipients.
I disagree about "dependents" with smartphones. They are very useful tools for children and even for parents when used by children. I understand that monthly plans can get pricey but that shouldn't be the primary reason it's unacceptable.
It wasn't too long ago that buying a PC for a child was considered excessive. Before that having more than one TV. If you want to help ate average child keep the TV out of their bedroom, regardless of how inexpensive they become.
There are parental controls and even more granular control using Profiles that can block the camera from being used or only allow emails an iMessages from select recipients.
sheesh.
give me something to hold on to. lol
position reconsidered.
HOW ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE AFFORDING DATA PLANS?!
A 2GB data plan is less than a dollar a day. I bet you could make that in under an hour panhandling. Sure, the total cost of the plan will cost you 2-3x that much per month, but cellphones have become sine qua non for a great many people, even those that don't use computers for communication on a regular basis.
There is a long history of luxury items and status symbols of one generation becomes the necessity of the next. I assume that overtime the cost for entry will lower as the number of customers rise, but so far data plans for the iPhone and SMS costs have increased.
Apple has created such a brand for themself that every tech company is searching its secret sauce. Apple is attracting fashonist instead of Geeks...
eh...possibly...but I'd say both as I know some geeks who love iPhones
but they definitely do appeal to fashionistas...
lol I was just having that discussion with my cousin regarding the iPhone (and smartphones period) and kids. NO WAY IN HELL should a child have an iPhone or even an Android phone (low or high end, the plans are expensive as hell for no legitimate reason)
iPod touch or iPad make sense...but anything requiring a plan? no.
also having been on the net for a long long long time no way in hell would my daughter ever get a phone that can both take photos and send them out effortlessly from me.
Far too many naked friends online -_- (pro and con of course)
iPod Touch has a camera as does the iPad. Wifi is ubiquitous so your fear of naked photos can't be exclusively tied to a phone with a data plan. I think some parents want their kids to have an iPhone so they can track where they are and also install parental controls. Data is more affordable as a family plan as well.
Data is more affordable as a family plan as well.
Wait, you can get data as part of a family plan? Is it a shared 2GB or something?
Wait, you can get data as part of a family plan? Is it a shared 2GB or something?
Not sure. It was speculation on my part but it appears that although the total family plan is cheaper, the data portion is the same price as individual plan, at least on AT&T.
Wait, you can get data as part of a family plan? Is it a shared 2GB or something?
Not sure. It was speculation on my part but it appears that although the total family plan is cheaper, the data portion is the same price as individual plan, at least on AT&T.
I think some carriers offered capped family data plans. If not, I predict those will eventually become as standard as family talk plans.
iPod Touch has a camera as does the iPad. Wifi is ubiquitous so your fear of naked photos can't be exclusively tied to a phone with a data plan. I think some parents want their kids to have an iPhone so they can track where they are and also install parental controls. Data is more affordable as a family plan as well.
Oh yea...well then...isanyoneup will have a lot of new submissions for the foreseeable future.
I wouldn't have expected iPod Touch sales to drop YoY.
iPad
If nothing else, American kids are pretty spoiled