The smartphone market is smartly divided into two clans, Android and iPhone. The two different ecosystems catering to two different sets of audiences with their loyalties intact. While iPhone’s loyal userbase hardly makes a switch to the other side, Android users can be spotted flaunting an iPhone once in their life as their primary device. We mean, the chances of going from Android to iPhone are brighter than the other way round. And now, a new study conducted in the US proves our point.
iPhones Have More Loyal Users Than Samsung & Pixel Phones
After Samsung’s recently launched flagship lineup, the Galaxy S21 series, some of us were expecting that it could cause a spike in more iPhone users shifting to Android, but that’s not the case. A survey conducted on 5,000 American users by SellCell in early March indicates that iPhone loyalty has touched an all-time high of 91.9% while Android loyalty slips.
Samsung fans seem to be the most rigid Android loyalists, but even their loyalty took a hit and fell from 85.7% in 2019 to ‘just 74% in 2021. The survey also cites that around 65.2% of Google Pixel users intend to stay with the lineup, but merely 37.4% of LG owners and 29% of Motorola owners intend on sticking with their current smartphone brands.
This recent study has given us a lot of answers around the Apple vs. Android war. And we now have a much better idea of why users have a preference. It’s worth noting that this survey was conducted in the US and included only five smartphone brands – Apple, Google, Samsung, Motorola, and LG.
Why iPhone Users Are More Loyal?
This question has often crossed our minds, and the only satisfactory answer that we ever get is Privacy. Apple’s iOS ecosystem stands to adhere more to privacy and overall device safety than Android.
As per the survey, around 52.9% of users leave Samsung to buy an iPhone instead of shifting to another Android phone. And around a third of Apple’s successful converts (31.5%) happen as buyers perceive iPhones to be better for privacy, which tends to become the primary reason for switching from Android to iPhone.
Also, users tend to think that iOS offers better overall protection from tracking than Android. Somehow, Apple has successfully established itself as a brand that offers a better safety umbrella for privacy protection than any Android phone brand.
Moreover, privacy is not the only reason. There are small sets of other reasons why an Apple user is likely to stick more with the ecosystem. Around 21% of surveyed users cited ecosystem lock-in as one reason, while 10% thought that switching to Android would be a task too demanding. The remaining users preferred Apple over other Android brands.
Samsung users turned out to be less loyal to the Android/OneUI ecosystem (5%), while 18% think it would be a lot of a hassle to move from Android to iOS.
These results are tied to the US demographic, and there stands a chance that other markets might present a completely different picture. But even after its limitations, the survey does suggest that Apple’s iPhone 12 is a smashing hit while Samsung’s latest flagship is losing.
Going by all the data, we think it is high time Android brands up their privacy game to properly rival iPhones and fix losing their existing users. And not just privacy; regular software updates could also pave the way to more loyalty. That’s some food for thought!
Are you an iPhone user or an Android user? Would you switch your ecosystem if given a choice? And do you think Apple offers more privacy to its users than any Android brand? Share your thoughts in the comments!
