Background Research

We began our background research by typing “Do more women have iPhones compared to men?” in the Google search bar. We found three websites with information that was relevant to the question of interest for our research study. As it turns out, the study has already been performed of whether or not more iPhones are purchased by women compared to men.

The first site we visited had a marketing research group that conducted a study. Women at NBCU monthly tracked the top 500 brands that are most important to women by following what they search for and talk about online. Apple’s iPhone has consistently been in the top. With the latest data available, the iPhone went from number 22 in August to number 8 in October. It has become one of the most important gadgets for females. “Advertising shapes is how we perceive products. Apple has been smart to market to women,” says Sascha Segan, a columnist at PC Magazine. Other factors that might contribute to a gender divide are color, price, carrier and size, for example: women prefer red and men prefer black. Women appreciate having a phone that not only works, but also appeals to their fashion sense.
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2010/12/07/is-the-iphone-for-girls-apple-ipad-amazon-kindle-men-women-marketing/ >

The second site we visited had accompanying statistics to support our question of interest. According to data from now Google-owned Admob, iPhone users were split pretty evenly along gender lines in February of 2010, with women accounting for 43% of iPhone owners. The iPhone may appeal to something more basic for female users.Women love the things that catch their eye. Anything that looks nice to them will be worth whatever price it is as long as it is handy and easy to use. They also think about the future and how useful the product will be for everyday situations.

<http://readwrite.com/2012/05/22/why-the-iphones-success-has-women-to-thank >

Lots of women like to plan ahead and ensure that what they are purchasing will be of great use for a long time and is not just a temporary arrangement. We feel that the iPhone was considered a “girl” phone because of its smaller size. Also, it was one of the first phones to be updated. Women are fond of obtaining new things and being the first ones to show them off to their friends or family members.

The third site we visited had research done by the Nielsen Company proving that women strongly prefer the iPhone, with 30.9% opting for Apple's handset. Statistics from recent years also show that women are among the most explosive demographic segments for smartphone ownership, seeing a 13% spike between May 2011 and February 2012.

<http://appleinsider.com/articles/10/12/01/women_want_apples_iphone_men_prefer_google_android_nielsen_finds>

From marketing to design, the iPhone proves that you do not need to divide consumers along gender lines to conquer them. Appealing to essentials such as form and function is a message that resonates widely. Apple’s world and it’s one-size-fits-all approach continues to outfit the mobile masses. At the end of the day, just as Apple would have us believe, the iPhone is for everybody- and it sells like it, too.