Forrester Research just released a study that gives us a fascinating look at iPhone owners as a demographic. The study costs about $750 for full access, but luckily for us AppleInsider has posted a summary. The study shows that iPhone owners are, by and large, younger, wealthier, and more in-touch with the online world than other smartphone and mobile phone users.

That shouldn't really surprise anyone. Apple is a hip company and the iPhone is the most fashionable smartphone you can own. The iPhone is a fairly pricey smartphone, and the folks who buy one tend to spend more money on their phone plans than other smartphone users. They spend a lot more time browsing the Internet through their phones than other mobile users, and they're more likely to use their phone to keep up-to-date on their company's network than non-iPhone owners.

There were a few other interesting tid-bits in the study. 30% of iPhone users are members of Generation Y, 49% of them have college degrees, and 67% make more than $70,000 a year. That makes iPhone owners a highly profitable demographic to market towards. The fact that they use the mobile Internet more frequently than any other group also makes them one of the nerdiest demographics out there.

I'm interested to see how the launch of the iPhone 3GS and the new $99 price tag for the iPhone 3G are going to effect these numbers. Cheaper iPhones are going to alter the current iPhone demographic substantially. I doubt we'll see a drop in average 'net usage, but we'll probably see a substantial drop in the average income of iPhone owners.