Ebates Holiday Survey: Apple’s iPhone X vs. Samsung Galaxy

Survey reveals that age matters when it comes to smartphone preferences

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In the battle between Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy, American teens and adults are split on which one they want as a holiday gift. Over a third (35 percent) of teens said they either want the pricey iPhone X or the Apple iPhone 8. Overall, adults said the Samsung Galaxy S8 is the smartphone they’d prefer to unwrap (38 percent). Only 20 percent of adults want the iPhone X, with a slightly higher percentage (22 percent) wanting the iPhone 8. The national survey was fielded among 1,034 adults and 507 teens by Propeller Insights on behalf of Ebates, a leader and pioneer in cash back shopping and subsidiary of the global internet services company Rakuten.

Which smartphone would you most like to receive?	Percent of adults who said this	Percent of teens who said this
1. Samsung Galaxy S8	38 percent	28 percent
2. Apple iPhone 8 Plus	23 percent	25 percent
3. Apple iPhone 8	22 percent	35 percent
4. Apple iPhone X	20 percent	35 percent

The Trendy Teen Gifts Are…

If you’re planning to buy your teen a pair of Beats wireless earbuds, as 28 percent of American parents are, you’re in luck—at 44 percent, it’s the number one trendy teen gift that teens most want to receive.

Teen boys also want a drone (47 percent), while girls want a Polaroid camera (52 percent). Trendy teen gifts for both teen boys and girls include:

Which of the following trendy gifts is at the top of your wish list?	Percent of teen boys who said this	Percent of teen girls who said this
1. Beats wireless earbuds	38 percent	49 percent
2. Nintendo Switch	38 percent	30 percent
3. Bose portable speaker	28 percent	25 percent
4. Amazon Echo	26 percent	24 percent

However, while 27 percent of parents think that fidget spinners are still a hot gift for teens, only 15 percent of teens put this on their wish lists.

Non-Electronic Gifts Are Popular Too!

When asked which non-electronic gift Americans most want to receive, the most popular choice was a gift card—for both adults and teens (both 77 percent). Adults also put clothing (49 percent), shoes (35 percent) and accessories (31 percent) at the top of their list. Teens agreed and also listed clothing (63 percent), shoes (55 percent) and accessories (44 percent) as their most desired non-electronic gifts.

Getaways were also a popular choice for Americans (32 percent). In fact, almost three-quarters—72 percent—would forego a gift in exchange for a holiday getaway.

When it comes to which type of gift card Americans would most like to receive, money in the form of a Visa, Amex or Mastercard (72 percent) was the top choice. This is followed by a gift card to a restaurant (59 percent), a retailer (51 percent) or for travel.

And men should take note: one-third of women also selected a gift card for a spa treatment (35 percent).

One-in-five Americans also plan to spend between $250-$500 on holiday gifts this year, and almost as many will spend more than $1,000 (18 percent) or $750-$1,000 (17 percent).

"The holidays can be a busy and stressful time for shoppers trying to cross items off their lists while staying on a budget,” said Amit Patel, CEO of Ebates. “At Ebates, we want to make it as easy as possible to purchase all your gifts and save money while doing it. From clothes and accessories to electronics, our retailers have you covered.”

From now through Christmas, shoppers can receive up to double cash back on select retailers via Ebates. For more details on specific retailers participating in the special offer, visit Ebates.com. Shoppers can also download the free Ebates.com app at Google Play and the App Store.

About Ebates

Ebates rewards members with cash back on purchases while also providing access to thousands of coupons, discounts, promotions and special deals, including free shipping. Free membership allows consumers to shop online at over 2,000 of their favorite top-name retailers while earning a percentage of every purchase they make. To date, Ebates members have earned nearly $1 billion, paid out quarterly in the form of a “Big Fat Check” or via PayPal. Because shopping with Ebates is hassle-free—no rebate forms to fill out and no points or miles to redeem—the site supports a strong community of savvy shoppers across the country and around the world. Founded in 1998 and acquired by Rakuten, Inc. in 2014, Ebates is headquartered in San Francisco.

Ebates is a registered trademark of Ebates Performance Marketing, Inc. Rakuten is a registered trademark of Rakuten, Inc. Google Play is a registered trademark of Google Inc. App Store is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. PayPal is a registered trademark of PayPal, Inc. IPhone is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. Samsung Galaxy is a registered trademark of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Beats is a registered trademark of Beats Electronics, LLC. Polaroid is a registered trademark of PLR IP Holdings, LLC. Nintendo is a registered trademark of Nintendo of America Inc. Amazon Echo is a registered trademark of Amazon Technologies, Inc. Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International Service Association. Amex is a registered trademark of American Express Marketing & Development Corp. Mastercard is a registered trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.