iPhone vs. Android: Apple iPhone Owners Most Brand-Loyal Among Smartphone Users

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Research says that iPhone users are most likely to upgrade to a newer iPhone model rather than switch to another platform, with most citing easy access to content and seamless integration of smartphone features. Does this mean it’s more difficult to get iPhone users to switch to Android than the other way around?

Apple just launched its latest iPhone 4S last October, and this led droves of existing iPhone users to upgrade due to attractive (although criticized to be incremental) features like the Siri speech-recognition engine and LTE. Research by market analysts from GfK indicate that the likely trend is that most Apple iPhone users will stick to the same platform, given the opportunity to either upgrade or switch to a rival smartphone operating system.

In a survey done among 4,500 smartphone users from the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Brazil, China, Japan and the U.S., 84% of iPhone users said they will upgrade to a new iPhone when a new one comes out. Meanwhile, 60% of Android users say they’re sticking with Android. 48% of BlackBerry users will remain loyal to RIM’s platform.

GfK analyst Ryan Garner says that creating a seamless user experience is key in maintaining customer loyalty. “The scope for brands to lure customers from rivals has diminished and the richest rewards will go to those providers that can create the most harmonious user experience and develop this brand loyalty,” he says. More than 70% of the surveyed smartphone users say that seamless integration of features and content access are keeping them loyal to their respective platforms.

This research echoes a previous Nielsen study that says the iPhone has an 89% retention rate, and that Android users have a 55% loyalty rate to the platform. However, in that study, 50% of smartphone users from Android, BlackBerry and other platforms say they are likely to switch to an iPhone, but only 10% of iPhone users say they will consider other smartphone brands.