Apple Buyers Just Use Their iPhones More than Their iPads

As we think about how critical Apple devices are in our lives, we thought to compare some specific use cases between iPhone and iPad, Apple’s two leading devices. Not surprisingly, iPhone owners use their iPhones more frequently than iPad owners use their iPads, and that extends even to applications and uses that seem ideal for an iPad.

CIRP asks US iPhone and iPad buyers how often they use each device in various ways: emailing, internet access, watching video, playing games, and listening to music. For iPhone, we also ask how often a buyer uses it for calling, texting, and taking photos. For iPad, we also ask how often a buyer uses it to read books and other written material.

iPhones are used very intensely. For iPhone buyers, across almost all applications, at least 80% of consumers use the application at least daily, with over 90% texting and accessing the Internet at least daily. The exceptions are playing games, listening to music, and taking photos, but still two-thirds of consumers or more use their iPhone at least daily for those applications (Chart 1).

Chart 1: Percent of iPhone and iPad buyers that use device at least daily for specific purposes (twelve months ending September 2024)

iPad buyers use their device somewhat less frequently overall. The only application that more than 80% iPad buyers use daily is accessing the Internet. About two-thirds of iPad owners use their device for emailing, playing games, and watching video content at least daily. Less than 60% listen to music and only about one-third read books and other materials on their iPad at least daily.

iPhone dominates these various uses relative to iPad. For every use case in common (email, internet, gaming, video, and music), more iPhone owners use their device at least daily than iPad owners.

Even for the uses for which iPad seems designed, iPhone tends to have more frequent use. In particular, for game playing and video viewing, one might think iPad would have more intense use, with its advanced processor and larger display. Yet, the ubiquity of having one’s iPhone in-hand makes those uses more frequent on iPhones than on less proximate iPads.