Five groups of iPhone users in Thailand

There are five groups of Thai users of the iPhone, the popular smartphone made by Apple Inc, according to a market survey and statistics of mobile-phone usage from 2019-2024, published by The 1 Insight on Friday.

The data insight platform that focuses on consumer lifestyles said the arrival of the latest iPhone 16 this week has doubled the sales of products in gadget groups compared with the same period in the previous month.

The 1 Insight also found that 40% of iPhone users in Thailand change their smartphones every year, reflecting the success of Apple’s marketing strategy as well as users’ strong interest in new innovations brought by the new models.

According to the survey, iPhone users in Thailand can be categorised in five groups, as follows:

1. Gen Z (18-24 years old): This group comprises young adults who use the iPhone mostly for social media, both consuming and creating content. Popular models among this group are the black iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, with storage capacity at 128 gigabytes, which is suitable for their income level.

The survey also found that Gen Z tend to change their phones every year, and use financial services with 0% interest rate as a means to buy new products.

2. Gen Y (25-40 years old): Working people, mostly male, who are interested in modern technology and view mobile phones as an indicator of success and high social status. Thanks to their high income, popular models for this group include iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max with high-capacity storage, either in black or natural titanium colour.

3. Millennial Parents (30-45 years old): Modern parents who focus on phones’ functions and large storage to cover a variety of family usages. This group often picks a colourful iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Plus, with 128 or 256 GB storage because of its cost-effectiveness. They also buy new phones every three to four years but tend to stick to the same segment as previous phones.

4. Gen X (45-60 years old): Executives and business leaders who invest in technology to maximise the efficiency for both work and personal uses. Popular model is iPhone 15 Pro Max with 512GB or 1TB capacity, in blue titanium colour. Gen X buy new phones every few years and often go for the top-of-the-line model.

5. Silver Spenders (over 60 years old): Wealthy retirees often choose colourful iPhone SE or iPhone 15 for basic usage and health-related applications. The survey also found that they use their iPhones in conjunction with Apple Watch to maximise the health-monitoring capabilities.

Silver spenders prefer phone storage from 64-128GB, and tend to change their phones every four to five years, along with the smart watch.

The 1 Insight said the release of the new iPhone could also create a halo effect, forming a positive impression among other products, notably fashion and accessories. As the release often coincides with the arrival of new autumn or winter collections, the new iPhone could help push the sales of fashion products by up to two times, it added.