Is Apple really in half of US homes?

With Apple rocketing in the phone, computing and tablet segments, exactly how many pieces of shiny Cupertino hardware are actually in use is a good question: according to new research (and some perhaps shaky extrapolation) half of American homes have at least one Apple device. The average US home has 1.6 Apple devices, according to a survey by CNBC and Hart Research Associates, with 9-percent owning five or more. However, it's worth noting that just 836 people were questioned.

From those 836 responses – the survey was "conducted by landline and cellphone from March 19 to 22 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent" CNBC says – the researchers suggest that a quarter of households expect to buy at least one more Apple product in the next year. Those homes with at least one device own, on average, three.

"It's a fantastic business model – the more of our products you own, the more likely you are to buy more," Jay Campbell of Hart Research Associates suggests. "Planned obsolescence has always been a part of the technology industries sales model, but Apple has taken it to a whole new level."

Consumer research is always tricky to interpret, and while while we've no doubt that CNBC's research is statistically significant on paper, there's no escaping that making nation-wide assumptions from 836 responses feels like a stretch. Still, it's likely music to Apple's ears, while the idea of another half of US households yet to succumb to the company's charms only gives it room to grow.