Apple Customer Demographics: Steve Jobs’ Legacy in 2023

Apple is more than just a big company. They’re an iconic brand that has led the way in design for consumer tech since the 80s and changed the face of communication forever with the invention of the iPhone. They’ve been at the forefront of emerging technologies like wearable tech with the Apple Watch and Airpods, and their subscription services and App Store have been instrumental in changing the way we consume entertainment like music, books, games, and TV.

However, by studying the number of Apple vs. Android users in the US, we can see that they are not the clear market dominator. In fact, you either love Apple or hate it. Fans rave about the sleek design of their hardware and the ease of using their integrated suite of tools. Haters complain about their poor handling of treasured music libraries, struggle with their limiting UI, and just want them to get rid of that inconvenient touch bar.

So who are the lovers, and who are the haters? Let’s take a look at some demographics to find out.

Top Apple Customer Demographics: Editor’s Choice

• Over 1.65 billion Apple devices are currently used across the world.
• iPhone usage is distributed almost 50/50 between men and women.
• More than half of all US-based MacBook users are from small towns and rural areas.
• Over 10% of iPhone owners own Apple Watches.
• About 34 million people bought Apple watches in 2020.
• Almost 85% of current iPhone users plan to purchase another iPhone.
• One in five consumers who own both an iPad and an iPhone think switching ecosystems would be harder than changing bank accounts.
• Although nearly 100% of iPhone users have tried Siri, most don’t use it regularly.
• iOS users account for 30% of mobile device users globally.

General Apple User Demographics

How many people around the world buy Apple products? Who are they, and what do they buy? Apple’s primary revenue stream is from iPhone sales, although Android still leads in total global smartphone sales. It’s interesting to note that, unlike other major device companies, a majority of Apple users are young women, and many MacBook users live in small towns and rural areas in the United States.

1. More than 1.65 billion active Apple devices are currently in use across the world.

According to Apple demographics, almost 2 billion people around the world use Apple devices. This includes not only iPhones and iPads, but also wearables like Apple Watches, and classic Apple products like desktop Mac and MacBook laptops.

2. Out of these 1.65 billion devices, over a billion are iPhones.

The majority of Apple devices currently in use are smartphones. Apple has sold over 2 billion iOS devices; however, only about half of them are currently active. This is most likely due to people upgrading or replacing their old phones.

3. iOS users account for 26.99% of mobile device users globally.

Apple statistics tell us that iOS is the second most popular smartphone operating system in the world. However, Android still leads the market with almost 75% use globally, which is nearly double the number of iOS users. This is probably because the Android operating system can be installed on many different types of phones, while iOS is specific to Apple products.

4. iPhone usage is distributed almost 50/50 between men and women.

Apple customers demographics from 2019 show that about 51% of all iOS users were female, while 43% were male. Moreover, the percentage of female users in the US was 58%. While it’s a small majority, it is the only major smartphone vendor with a majority of female users.

5. The largest market for Apple products in the world is the Americas.

While Europe and Greater China make up key portions of Apple’s target market, the Americas are the largest geographical market for Apple, contributing over 46 billion dollars in Q1 of 2021 alone.

6. 31% of MacBook users in the US are between the ages of 25 and 34.

According to Apple age demographics, 2022 will continue to show that the largest group of MacBook users in the United States are young millennials and Gen-Zs. This demographic is at the age where they start their first job or finish school—two pursuits where a MacBook is very handy.

7. 53% of all US-based MacBook users are from small towns and rural areas.

It’s surprising to note that only 30% of all Apple laptop users live in big cities, as you’d expect many professionals like software developers and designers to use MacBooks for work. However, more than half of laptop users live outside major cities.

Apple Customer Demographics 2022

How much are Apple fans spending? Apple’s current global market capitalization is $2.08 trillion, more than most countries’ GDPs (the average global GDP is around $88 billion). So, it’s safe to say that Apple customers are spending a hefty sum. Let’s dig into some of the numbers that make up this staggering statistic.

8. Apple users spent over $65 million on iPhones in Q1 of 2021 alone.

The iPhone is Apple’s most popular product, according to Apple’s yearly sales reports. It accounts for almost 60% of the company’s total revenue. In 2020, the device generated almost $140 million in revenue worldwide, with 195 million units sold. This is likely attributable to the increase in remote working brought about by Covid.

9. The iPhone is responsible for 23.4% of the entire global smartphone market.

The smartphone is more ubiquitous than any other brand, selling at least 190 million units every year since 2014, and almost 206.1 million units in 2020.

Mcommerce statistics indicate that nearly half of smartphone users consider online shopping the primary use of their device.

10. 1 in 10 iPhone owners also own an Apple Watch.

According to Apple watch demographics, iPhone fans also like the company’s wearable tech, which is not surprising given the advantages that owning matched-brand wearable tech brings. In fact, Apple is a clear winner when it comes to seamlessly syncing content and transferring communication among devices.

11. In the US, the percentage of iPhone owners who also have an Apple Watch is about 35%.

The Apple Watch target audience skews heavily toward the United States, and the device adoption has been much higher in the US than in the rest of the world. This is likely because wearable technology overall has seen a higher adoption rate in the States than outside it.

12. To date, Apple has sold over 100 million watches.

After getting off to a slow start, with just 10 million units sold in its first year, Apple Watch sales picked up in the last 6 years. By 2018, about 50 million units were sold, and by the end of 2020, the number was bigger than 100 million.

13. Apple sold over 70 million iPads in 2020.

The number of Apple customers who purchase either an iPad or iPad Pro has fluctuated over the years, peaking way back in Q3 of 2013. In Q3 of 2020, iPad sales accounted for over 10% of the company’s total revenue. Furthermore, Apple shipped over 14.7 million iPads in Q1 of 2021.

14. The iPad is dominant in the tablet market.

Apple is the number one global tablet vendor, with 19 million units sold in Q4 of 2020, which accounted for 36.5% of all global tablet shipments. Moreover, Apple segmentation shows that nearly 50% of people in the US who have an iPhone own an iPad as well.

Apple Customer Demographics Regarding Streaming Services

Apple is known not only for its hardware, but also for its content platforms, including the App Store, Apple Music, and Apple TV. However, the company missed out on being first to market with streaming services, allowing competitors like Spotify and Netflix to gain the advantage. So, is Apple Music as popular as Spotify? How about Apple TV—can it compete with Netflix? Let’s dive into some figures to find out.

15. In 2021, Apple Music had 98 million users.

The demographics of Apple users using its music streaming platform show a steady increase since the service was created in 2015. The service, which used to be iTunes, has seen a boom in the last two years. The number increased by roughly 10 million users yearly from 2015 to 2019, then saw a jump to 20 million added users in 2020, and nearly 30 million added in 2021.

16. Apple Music users pay the highest cost-per-stream of any top music streaming service.

According to Apple Music demographics, an Apple Music user can pay three times more than a Spotify user for a single stream. Spotify users pay between $0.0026 and $0.0049 per stream, while Apple users pay a flat rate of $0.0076. YouTube is the cheapest music streaming service, with $0.00067 per stream.

17. Spotify still dominates the streaming market with over 160 million users in 2021.

Apple was late to the streaming party, allowing Spotify to quietly grow for years. According to Apple statistics, though Apple Music has grown steadily since 2016, it still trails Spotify’s number by about 100 million users.

18. About 13% of US Apple TV+ subscribers used the service every day in 2021.

About 25% of subscribers watched the service a few times a week, 17% watched once a week, and 9% watched only once a month.

19. The Apple App Store is the second-largest App Store in the world.

This year probably won’t see Apple overtake Google as users’ favorite App Store in the world, according to Apple customer demographics. In 2021, Google Play boasted an impressive 3.48 million apps, while Apple had roughly 2.22 million available apps.

20. Despite having fewer apps, the Apple App Store dominates the market share of global consumer spending on mobile apps.

Although Google Play has a significantly larger number of apps available for download, it appears that Apple does a better job of monetizing its App Store content. Users spent almost $20 billion on Apple apps in 2020, which is nearly double what they spent in the Google Play store.

App usage statistics indicate that yearly consumer spending on mobile apps could reach $171 billion by 2024.

Other Interesting Apple User Demographics

How many people who threaten to leave the Apple ecosystem do? Does anyone actually like Siri? These are the burning questions we’ll try to answer as we go through some final statistics.

21. Almost 85% of current iPhone users plan to purchase another iPhone.

Apple leads the market in smartphone customer retention, with the majority of iPhone users citing the ecosystem as the driving force when considering an upgrade. Android users are slightly less loyal, with Google seeing 60% customer retention for smartphones.

22. About 30% of iPhone users don’t want to learn how to use a new device.

Apple’s target customers are a smart bunch; however, many won’t leave the Apple ecosystem simply because they think learning to use a new device would be too time-consuming. About 33% say they are too invested in their apps and current phone setup to switch, and 28% see moving their content as too much of a hassle.

23. One in five consumers who own both an iPad and an iPhone think switching ecosystems would be harder than changing bank accounts.

It’s likely that, for the Apple target audience, 2022 will not mean a switch to Android. In fact, many iPhone users will probably never change ecosystems. Furthermore, over 70% of consumers say that seamless syncing of their content is a major factor in sticking with their current OS, and the more devices a user has to share content, the harder it will be to switch to a new provider, Apple iPhone target market statistics show.

24. Siri is used about 25 billion times per month.

The use of Siri is significant in the US, with an average use of 25 times per month. Although half of iPhone users don’t use the feature at all, users who do probably use it at least twice a day.

Ecommerce statistics indicate that the “voice commerce” market (i.e., people using virtual assistants like Siri to assist with online shopping) will reach $80 billion per year by 2023.

Apple Customer Demographics: The Takeaway

Despite being a global behemoth with a worldwide market cap larger than most countries’ GDPs, there are still areas in which Apple’s popularity is clearly lacking. iPhones make up the bulk of Apple’s sales; however, more people use Android devices than iPhones globally. Apple also missed out on being first to market with streaming options, and now trails other platforms like Netflix and Spotify in those areas.

Where Apple excels is in customer retention and loyalty. Once people join the Apple ecosystem, they are very unlikely to leave, particularly if they buy more than one device.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Apple users are there?

There are around 1.65 billion Apple devices currently active (meaning “online”) in the world. This number does not correlate 1:1 to the number of users, because some people own more than one device, or are in the process of replacing their current device with a new model. It also doesn’t count devices that are disconnected from the internet. However, it gives us some idea of how many people in the world buy and use Apple products.

What is Apple’s age demographic?

Depending on the device, Apple users might be as young as 16 or as old as 70. According to statistics taken in the US, the iPhone is most popular among 16 and 24-year-olds, with the majority of people in that age group preferring iPhone to Android. Moreover, MacBooks are popular among people aged 24–35 who primarily use the devices at work or for school. In fact, about 75% of iPhone users are older than 35.

Who is Apple’s target market?

Apple primarily markets its devices and services toward young professionals and college students. Their marketing is and always has been hip and trendy, dating back to the very first iPod commercials released in the early 2000s, which many people considered groundbreaking at the time. MacBooks, as a recent example, are used by creative professionals, including software developers, designers, video and music editors, and photographers.

Who buys Apple the most?

Before 2017, men bought the majority of Apple products, primarily people aged 25–44. However, with the Apple Watch addition, the target audience changed slightly and became more balanced. When the Apple Watch was added to the Apple suite of devices, Apple customer demographics started to include more women and older people.

Sources

Apple, Backlinko, Business of Apps, Finances Online, iPhone In Canada, Statista, TechRadar, The Hill, The Verge, Thurrot, Venture DNA, VoiceBot