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My next phone will be an iPhone, say more teens than ever

Commentary: The fall Taking Stock With Teens survey from investment bank Piper Jaffray shows the age group's love for Apple knows no end.

Chris Matyszczyk
2 min read

Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that's taken over our lives.


As the launch of iPhone X gets closer, it's fair to ask: "Is anyone really excited?"

At the time of its unveiling, I talked to real people who mostly felt very meh about Apple's so-called "smartphone of the future."

Yet along comes investment bank Piper Jaffray's latest "Taking Stock with Teens" survey and insists that US teens are more excited about iPhone than ever.

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Piper Jaffray surveyed 6,100 US teens across 44 states.

Piper Jaffray/Screenshot by CNET

In this twice-a-year survey of teens' mercurial minds, 78 percent said they owned an iPhone. And 82 percent declared that their next phone will be an iPhone. This is the highest iPhone-loving number the survey has ever seen.

Which might make some wonder: "What on earth are the competitors doing?" Or, perhaps: "Are there that many hand-me-down iPhones floating about the world?"

Still, these are the fall results gleaned from talking to 6,100 teens, with an average age of 16, from various income groups across 44 states.

It's tempting to imagine that teens have turned conservative, as the winds of crazy currently buffering the world make them hunker down with a few trusted choices.

Yet the survey points to very famous brands that have fallen out of favor. Facebook, for example, saw a significant decline, especially among younger teens. Nike suffered too. Facebook, however, might be cheered that Instagram enjoyed a lift.

And here's another expression of teen tech-centric love. 49 percent of all teens said their favorite retail website was Amazon. Are we all desperate to pay less for more -- well, more convenience, at least?

Also, 17 percent of these teens said they planned to buy an Apple Watch in the next months. That's up from 13 percent in the spring survey. 

Where do they get the money from? Please don't tell me it's their ever-indulgent parents.

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