New study shows iPhone users to be in a class by themselves

[AppleInsider]

iPhone users are richer, younger, and perhaps even more productive at work than those who use competing smartphones, according to a new study released Friday.

The study ($750 fee) from independent market analysis company Forrester Research suggests iPhone users comprise the elite upper class of smartphone customers. The data was compiled from 32,228 working U.S. adults in 2008. It found that those who own an iPhone are typically more active on their phones and more connected to the internet than those who fell into generic “smartphone” or “mobile phone” categories.”

The study, compiled by Ted Schadler, found that iPhone users are “more than twice as likely to access the Internet from their phone as working BlackBerry, Palm, or Windows Mobile device owners.” The research was inspired by anecdotal comments from companies such as Kraft Foods and Oracle that implied employees have a personal drive to use an iPhone at work, even when one is not provided by the employer.

The research suggests that an employee with an iPhone could be more productive: Those who carry Apple’s handheld device are more likely to stay connected to their employer’s network. Workers with an iPhone also usually leave their laptop at work, suggesting the phone essentially replaces the need for a traditional full-form mobile computer.

When comparing customer Internet usage, the study shows that the iPhone blows away its competitors. 78 percent of iPhone users reported they access the Internet at least weekly on their phone, while only 38 percent of the rest of the smartphone market were on the mobile Web that often.



The report has been a long time in the making. The survey was first conducted a year and a half ago, when the iPhone had only been available for six months and its starting price of $500 was considered by many to be prohibitively high. With Apple announcing this week a $99 iPhone 3G (subsidized by carrier AT&T) the phone is expected to have even more mass-market penetration. Forrester Research, based in Cambridge, Mass., plans to re-visit the study this year to see how the iPhone’s user demographics may have changed.



Among the study’s other findings:
iPhone users are younger. 30 percent of iPhone users in 2008 were of Generation Y, a larger portion than the rest of the smartphone market.
iPhone users are more educated and affluent. 49 percent of iPhone users have a college education, and 67 percent earn more than $70,000 a year.
iPhone customers spend more on their service. The average monthly phone bill for an iPhone user was $87, compared to $76 for the smartphone market, and $66 for traditional mobile phone users.
Employers are slightly less likely to subsidize an iPhone. 24 percent of respondents with an iPhone said they are compensated by their employer for their phone bill, while 28 percent of smartphone users have their employee pay all or part of it.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[Roos24]

So what's new here?

[majortom1981]

I dont think this is a good survey. What did they count as the mobile web? I have a smartphone and dont use the actual web that much but remote into work via remote desktop on the phone , use map software that accesses the web and youtube apps and things like that but dont access a web broswer that much.

I am a windows mobile smartphone user who preordered the iphone.

I see a lot of people who wouldnt normally have a smartphone with an iphone but i dont think the states are right on blackberry and windows mobile smartphone users.

[akf2000]

Fitter, happier, more productive, comfortable, not drinking too much, regular exercise at the gym

[Virgil-TB2]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

iPhone users are richer, younger, and perhaps even more productive at work than those who use competing smartphones, according to a new study released Friday....

Wow. As a "Gen V" person who isn't rich I'm in a distinct minority.

Maybe I should switch to WinMobile and start listening to Dinosaur Rock?

[ivan.rnn01]

Users of twidroids, please mind.

[allblue]

This seems about right. I'm older, poorer and not very productive at work and I haven't got one!

[Graeme]

Originally Posted by allblue

This seems about right. I'm older, poorer and not very productive at work and I haven't got one!

ha ha- was about to write the same words-older, poorer and not very productive with the addition that i have an do iPhone so i must be in my very own class!

[cameronj]

Originally Posted by majortom1981

I dont think this is a good survey. What did they count as the mobile web? I have a smartphone and dont use the actual web that much but remote into work via remote desktop on the phone , use map software that accesses the web and youtube apps and things like that but dont access a web broswer that much.

Someone with that behavior wouldn't show up on their survey. Nor should you, because the number of people doing that sort of thing is so small as to be unmeasurable anyway.

[ghostface147]

I don't make 70k a year +, didn't go to college, am 30 and own iPhones. I use it heavily for work, since I work mostly in the field and rely on it for almost everything except basic features like tethering and MMS. I wouldn't trade my phone for anything, well almost anything,

[Denton]

Originally Posted by akf2000

Fitter, happier, more productive, comfortable, not drinking too much, regular exercise at the gym

A pig in a cage on antibiotics.

[nikon133]

So rich young people with enough money for expensive data plans are buying latest and greatest (and expensive) cool phone.

I am so shocked.

So what is next? British Queen is driving in Rolse Royce..?

[spliff monkey]

It makes sense but I'm in NY and my younger employees make fun of my iphone all of the time because it was such a behemoth of an expense (OG Iphone). They really don't think it's that cool.

I was thinking their attitude, was the beginning of a breakdown, in mass-consumption in the youth culture but these number imply that there are a bunch of rich kids who want this crap as badly as their older counterparts. I thought the kids we're more hip than that.


I hope they make it much harder for ad execs like myself to sell crap to them and I hope they don't start thinking I'm not paying them enough so hey can buy their own iphone.

[icfireball]

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

Wow. As a "Gen V" person who isn't rich I'm in a distinct minority.

Maybe I should switch to WinMobile and start listening to Dinosaur Rock?

Generation V? I don't think that's an actual term... I believe it's the "Baby Boom Generation."

[Quadra 610]

Well obviously.

[nagromme]

The average monthly phone bill for an iPhone user was $87

Wow! That amazes me if true. And if that's the average, with the low end being $69, then a lot of people are higher than $87!

They must rely on SMS a LOT and talk WAY more than I do. I feel like I'm on my iPhone constantly, but with some of being evening minutes and in-network minutes, I never use up the included minutes. I just accumulate--so even if my habits change I have a huge cushion.

[majortom1981]

Also where did they get there iphone and smartphone prices from? I currently have an att fuze and will be getting the iphone 3gs. Cost wise it will be the same per month. So i dont see how the bills can come out differently.

[Cubert]

Well, my patients certainly skew the data. I work at a federally funded free clinic where everyone is on welfare (not kidding) and just about every mom that I see (Pediatrics is one of my Board certifications) has an iPhone. I can't even afford an iPhone!

Baby mamas keeping Apple afloat!

[bigmc6000]

Originally Posted by nagromme

Wow! That amazes me if true. And if that's the average, with the low end being $69, then a lot of people are higher than $87!

They must rely on SMS a LOT and talk WAY more than I do. I feel like I'm on my iPhone constantly, but with some of being evening minutes and in-network minutes, I never use up the included minutes. I just accumulate--so even if my habits change I have a huge cushion.

It actually says an average of $87 spent on ALL mobile phones so I'm not really sure it's $87 per iPhone account - seems fuzzy when they say "all mobile phones" because if you have more than 1 I'm sure you pay more than $87 a month.

[caliminius]

Originally Posted by Seahawk Fan 2

These numbers are taken from a 2008 poll.

This is June 2009. Since that time there have been far to many new smart phones released for these numbers to even be considered relevant.

Old news articles don't reflect current market trends.

I agree. It doesn't seem like any sort of revelation that a survey that was conducted when the iPhone could only be had for $499 and a minimum $70 monthly service fee would show that it was mostly being purchased by people with higher incomes. Nor does the fact they made more use of the internet; if I plunked down $500 for a device, I'd be darn sure I used it frequently as well at least initially (I'm looking at you, $500 PS3 that now sits mostly idle and even then mostly for movie watching). And again not much of a shocker that most purchasers were young males who are ALWAYS the majority demographic when it comes to new electronic gadgets.

The real title of the article should be "Survey states the obvious about early iPhone adopters."

[Virgil-TB2]

Originally Posted by icfireball

Generation V? I don't think that's an actual term... I believe it's the "Baby Boom Generation."

Well I made it up.
I meant to say "W" actually, to imply the generations previous to "Gen X."

I always thought "Generation X" was a dumb moniker though and "Generation Y" makes even less sense so I was kind of taking it to a ridiculous extreme to show how, you know ... ridiculous the whole designation is.

[jafoca]

You would think that with iPhone owners being wealthier there would be less whining about not getting subsidized prices while still early in a 2 year contract period

::OH SNAP!::

[cameronj]

Originally Posted by ghostface147

I don't make 70k a year +, didn't go to college, am 30 and own iPhones. I use it heavily for work, since I work mostly in the field and rely on it for almost everything except basic features like tethering and MMS. I wouldn't trade my phone for anything, well almost anything,

Then you would be part of the 33%

[MightySpitz]

But are these numbers statistically significant?? Tell me the p-values...or at least give me the coefficients and standard errors and I'll calculate significance myself.

[Quadra 610]

Originally Posted by jafoca

You would think that with iPhone owners being wealthier there would be less whining about not getting subsidized prices while still early in a 2 year contract period

::OH SNAP!::

How do you think they became "wealthy" in the first place?

Good with finances.

Do you really assume people with money don't care about it??

Some of us have something called "savings."

[quinney]

Originally Posted by MightySpitz

But are these numbers statistically significant?? Tell me the p-values...or at least give me the coefficients and standard errors and I'll calculate significance myself.

That will cost you $750.

[Abster2core]

Originally Posted by jafoca

You would think that with iPhone owners being wealthier there would be less whining about not getting subsidized prices while still early in a 2 year contract period

::OH SNAP!::

If this sight is any indication, the majority of whiners and the loudest ones, like trolls such as teckstud, don't own an iphone.

[Abster2core]

Originally Posted by quinney

That will cost you $750.

You beat me to it.

[manfrommars]

Originally Posted by nikon133

So rich young people with enough money for expensive data plans are buying latest and greatest (and expensive) cool phone.

I am so shocked.

So what is next? British Queen is driving in Rolse Royce..?

Ha! Well said. So some of the most expensive phones on the market are owned by people with high incomes? This is very insightful research.

[anantksundaram]

OK, now I get the Wal-mart snarkiness (from some) on this forum.....

[TenoBell]

I'm in NY also and I see iPhone's everywhere. I think your younger employees are just jealous.

I'm in my mid 30's, I have a masters degree in fine arts. I'm a freelance worker so my income is variable, I can do extremy well one year. Then not so well the next.

Originally Posted by spliff monkey

It makes sense but I'm in NY and my younger employees make fun of my iphone all of the time because it was such a behemoth of an expense (OG Iphone). They really don't think it's that cool.

I was thinking their attitude, was the beginning of a breakdown, in mass-consumption in the youth culture but these number imply that there are a bunch of rich kids who want this crap as badly as their older counterparts. I thought the kids we're more hip than that.


I hope they make it much harder for ad execs like myself to sell crap to them and I hope they don't start thinking I'm not paying them enough so hey can buy their own iphone.

[TenoBell]

Just because you charge a lot of money doesn't automatically mean people of means will purchase your product.

Originally Posted by manfrommars

Ha! Well said. So some of the most expensive phones on the market are owned by people with high incomes? This is very insightful research.

[MyopiaRocks]

...and they shag like a minx.

[auxio]

Originally Posted by TenoBell

I'm in NY also and I see iPhone's everywhere. I think your younger employees are just jealous.

I was just going to say... it's likely because of that same chip I had on my shoulder when I was a starving student/junior employee who couldn't afford the things I wanted. That and they probably feel that they are partially the reason why you can afford that phone.

[Gyokuro]

Originally Posted by Roos24

So what's new here?

To say that mobile internet access is higher amongst iPhone users is worthy of inclusion in a "study" is puzzling. DUH! From now on, please just send me the $750 and I'll tell you common knowledge disguised as an amazing discovery. These people need to piss off.

[Quadra 610]

Originally Posted by TenoBell

Just because you charge a lot of money doesn't automatically mean people of means will purchase your product.

They certainly seem to be. Most Apple products are Premium retail items, and they're selling very well. So something is clearly going on. Besides, this whole "higher income/more disposable income" study has been done before with similar results.

[Gyokuro]

I am in a class by myself. I am amazing. But only while holding my iPhone.

[Fast Fred 1]

iPhone users are richer, younger, and dam good looking perhaps even more productive at work than those who use competing smartphones, according to a new study released Friday.

That sounds about right!

[Abster2core]

Originally Posted by Seahawk Fan 2

I owned the original iPhone & the 3G. I don't whine because I can't afford it, I whine because Apple has for the 3G and the 3G s given very little in the upgrade arena.

The features of 3.0 bring the phone up to other contenders (I don't need to hear about how great the browser is I own the phone).

The fact that Apple is now saying if I upgrade and I wan't the new features of disk space and find my phone I now have to purchase Mobile Me (stab again with no lube).

Mobile Me's trial period was a disaster, has no features you can't get for free and I wouldn't get near the use out of it being a PC user.

I Bitch because I'm tired of Apple telling me what I need. I do need multi tasking.
I'm reading an article in AP and I get a phone call or email. I take the phone call and I have to relaunch AP find the article again and find out where I left off then start reading again. There are countless situations like this that have turned me off about the entire operating system that have pushed me into moving on.

Even if I was able to get the 32gb for $299 I wouldn't.

I will move on to another vendor. The apps that I use frequently are available on WinMo, Android & Pre's Web OS (and there are very few I use and none are paid apps).

So look at it on the bright side. After my iPhone contract runs out I'll have no reason to Bitch in the Forum anymore under any usesr name.

On the other hand when the current 3G user contract runs out the 3G s users will be Bitching that they don't get the new phone next July when they add something stellar like 2 compasses that you need to be logged into Mobile Me 2 to take advantage of.

I gather that if you could read, you would understand that I wasn't referring to you. UFA.

[hill60]

You can read the results of my study after you send me the discounted for today only cost of $500!!!

76.4% of Appleinsider whiners complain about having to pay for data because wireless is everywhere and they don't need/use it and it doesn't work anyway.

79.7% of Appleinsider whiners complain about not being able to use their slingbox over 3G.

Originally Posted by Abster2core

If this sight is any indication, the majority of whiners and the loudest ones, like trolls such as teckstud, don't own an iphone.