Apple Gets Loyalty From Young Customers
A Piper Jaffray survey has found the number of American teens using iPhones is rising based on the previous year's 48 percent to 61 percent this 2014.
Current figures also doubled the percentage two years back. Also, 61 percent still expected iPhones to be their next handsets. Sixty percent of these young people have a tablet computer, 66 percent of whom have iPad as their preferred choice.
Teenagers, known to be fickle-minded and whose judgment can pop up instantly, apparently become consistent when it comes to smartphones. They seem to have something weird from Apple.
How does Apple successfully lure the young minds that even attractive offerings and fine ads of its competitors were not able to change them? Apple did not even put extraordinary effort to cater to these teens' "wants" on its smartphones.
The same survey in the previous year, which has 48 percent of American teens owning an iPhone also said 62 percent planned to have Apple's smartphone to be their next phone. This year, the survey has 7,500 young people aged 16. Most are from households with $55,000 income.
Survey results showed two top brands among their preference - Apple for electronics and Nike for apparel. Seventeen percent of the respondents also said they are would like to have an iWatch and would be willing to pay $350 for it. The published report processed the consumer habits of the teen respondents. Eight percent of their spending go to electronics and gadgets while 7 percent go to game systems.
Young people are essential customers as they give a company a chance to have long-time customers. The price-cut 8 GB iPhone 5c may also have targeted teens with its colorful designs and reduced price tag.
Either it is the factor of being cool or image-definer, the point is that American teens seem to be too afraid to get out of the comforts of Cupertino's devices.
If a brand is holding some teens minds and emotions, there should be a couple of reasons. One can be iPhone's design, which it is maintaining in high levels. Second, competitors have not managed to inspire much yet. Whatever the reason is, it is something Apple would surely want to sustain and its rivals to ponder on.