According to Financial Times’ Patrick McGee, Generation Z (individuals born in the mid-1990s to mid-2010s) now accounts for 34% of all iPhone owners in the US, with a whopping 76% of iPhone owners in the country aged 18-34.
Apple is absolutely dominating the smartphone market for zoomers, commanding 83% of it compared to Samsung’s rather tame 10%, according to data from S&P’s 451 Research. In comparison, the Apple/Samsung split for older generations is fairly even.
Back in September, Counterpoint Research data showed that Apple had surpassed Android devices to account for over 50% of smartphones sold in the US.
McGee notes that Gen Z’s preference for the iPhone “helps explain how Apple’s share of the US market grew from 35% in 2019 to 50% in 2022.”
“Apple has captured Gen Z in the US so thoroughly that American teens fear being electronically ostracized if they don’t own an iPhone,” he tweeted.
*new story* @Apple has captured Gen Z in the US so thoroughly that American teens fear being electronically ostracized if they don't own an iPhone.
A thread, augmented by me having fun with @midjourney_ai the last week. (Pls note these images are not used in the story!) pic.twitter.com/zbRheLVP7G
— Patrick McGee (@PatrickMcGee_) February 21, 2023
“The popularity of iPhone for Gen Z is a massive step-change,” he adds.
The iPhone’s prevalence among younger generations and their loyalty to Apple aren’t localized to the US, either. Per a recent study conducted by Canalys in Western Europe, 83% of current iPhone users under the age of 25 plan to stick with Apple for their next phone — more than double the loyalty among Android users.
You can learn more and join the conversation in the Twitter thread here.
