The kids are iAlright, says Gene Munster

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster says more kids want iPhones. The Apple 2.0 blog has Mr. Munster hanging out with high schoolers for one of his semi-annual surveys of teen buying habits in the US.

In a research note on the survey, Munster said, "Apple's dominance in the [consumer electronics] and online music markets is going seemingly unchecked."

According to his findings:

• Plans to buy an iPhone in the next six months have risen from 16% a year ago to 22% last fall to 31% today

• 14% of the kids surveyed already own an iPhone, up from last year's 8%, but down a point from last fall's 15%

• 87% of the kids surveyed own an MP3 player, 92% of which are iPods.

• While 82% of teens download music, only 43% do it legally. But, of that 43%, 92% say they buy their music from Apple's iTunes Store.

All of that gives Apple the hand that rocks the cradle. Or as Munster puts it, "...the teen demographic is a critical component of long-term growth in the digital music and mobile markets. And Apple is taking its leading position in music and mobile markets."

[via Fortune]