Android Beats iOS In Smartphone Loyalty, Study Finds 145
Android users don't appear to be switching to the iPhone like they used to. According to a new study from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), Android users have higher loyalty than iOS users do. "The research firm found that Android brand loyalty has been remaining steadily high since early 2016, and remains at the highest levels ever seen," reports TechCrunch. From the report: Today, Android has a 91 percent loyalty rate, compared with 86 percent for iOS, measured as the percentage of U.S. customers who stayed with their operating system when they upgraded their phone in 2017. From January 2016 through December 2017, Android loyalty ranged from 89 to 91 percent (ending at 91 percent), while iOS loyalty was several percentage points lower, ranging from 85 to 88 percent. Explains Mike Levin, partner and co-founder of CIRP, users have pretty much settled on their brand of choice at this point. "With only two mobile operating systems at this point, it appears users now pick one, learn it, invest in apps and storage, and stick with it. Now, Apple and Google need to figure out how to sell products and services to these loyal customer bases," he said. It's worth noting that Android hasn't always led in user loyalty as it does now. CIRP has been tracking these metrics for years, and things used to be the other way around.
Moto X FTW (Score:2)
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I converted my whole family to the Moto X family. V4 seems to have been "good enough" - my kids finally stopped whining about the iphones I was never going to buy them - and I'm happy with my v5.
So, you're bragging that your family would rather have an Android phone than NOTHING, right?
Got it.
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I'd rather have nothing than an iPhone. But I'm not bragging about it.
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anything but apple. Yuk
Anyone but ACs.
Retch.
Google services and Android price performance (Score:3, Insightful)
The Google stuff is poor mans Apple. As in "just like Apple, but dirt cheap". Many Geeks I know here in Germany have moved to Chrome OS and everything in the cloud. Google doesn't sell hardware, they lure you into their AI and sell that data. This is a business model MS and Apple will have a hard time beating in the long term.
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My $800 Android phone disagrees with your assessment.
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There is not such thing as inexpensive Apple phones, simply because the entire point of Apple brand requires the product to be more costly than competition. If you could get a cheap iphone, it would destroy the brand value. The social value that the brand carries is partially dependent on the "I'm rich enough to overpay for this expensive product", like all luxury brands.
Unless you're talking used, or several year old models. In which case, Apple will push you to upgrade very quickly with various underhande
Re:Google services and Android price performance (Score:4, Interesting)
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Every Android phone I have bought had a comparable iPhone at the same price. I buy Android phones because once I do, I don't have to use anything Google if I want. When I buy Apple, I know I'm going to have to use iTunes for something eventually. Then I'll be using Apple software and seeing Apple advertising, and that makes me feel locked in.
What Apple advertising?
Apple doesn't do in-product Advertising in their own products. There are NO pro-Apple ads IN iTunes.
What a moron.
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Everything infrastructure in Apple is all Apple.
They don't need to advertise that fact.
Keep calling everybody a moron. It makes people like you.
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"There are NO pro-Apple ads IN iTunes"
There are NO pro apple devices. Period.
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"There are NO pro-Apple ads IN iTunes"
There are NO pro apple devices. Period.
I see what you did there, COWARD.
And, BTW, I highly doubt that people need an 18-core Xeon-based 5k-Display desktop for surfing the intarwebs.
Apple-Hating Slashtards: They're all the same, COWARDLY Anonymous Posters.
KILL AC POSTING, SLASHDOT!!! It's JUST not worth it!
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Seems like if I wanted to have Android without anything to do with Google (or Amazon), I'll have to find another distro and install it. Then I have to find a way to get the apps I want. Meanwhile, I'll have the same concerns about malware that was on Windows in... 2000?
Besides, hasn't Google forced hooks into Android that relies on Google services.
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When I buy Apple, I know I'm going to have to use iTunes for something eventually.
For what it's worth I've been using iPhones for years and I've never installed iTunes. I don't even own a computer that would run it. I updated it over the air and back my photos up using Google Photos.
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...Geeks I know here in Germany have moved to Chrome OS and everything in the cloud....
By "geeks" I assume you mean people who bite heads off chickens in a carnival sideshow. I don't know any geeks (as in, people using computers for fun) who don't have at least _some_ data and hardware that they purposefully and protectively keep local. (See my sig.)
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I know no "geek" who ever would use a ChromeBook, either.
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I know no "geek" who ever would use a ChromeBook, either.
Geeks view chromebooks as a great way to buy cheap hardware to sideload linux to.
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Actually I have not, but thanks for the link. :D
If I could run Java on it or Android apps, that would be great.
I will investigate
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If I could run Java on it or Android apps, that would be great.
Yes to Android apps [digitaltrends.com]. Also, switching between Ubuntu (crouton) and ChromeOS takes less than a second on my chromebook with a simple keyboard shortcut (ctrl+shift+alt+back arrow on top row). I really love that laptop it's been wonderful and the quality of the hardware for the price is kind of mind-blowing.
Re: Google services and Android price performance (Score:2)
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Next time get the $1000 model with the notch. I hear it lets you type Applepostrophes® without them coming out all fubar.
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Settings > General > Keyboard > Smart Puncuation
(On any iPhone or iPad)
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The Google stuff is poor mans Apple. As in "just like Apple, but dirt cheap".
Yeah tell me about it. Why spend $1000 on an iPhone X when you could spend $900 on a Galaxy S9+
DIRT CHEAP!
Problem (Score:5, Insightful)
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This study is problematic in that it is comparing two very unlike things. Android is simply an operating system that is designed to work on a variety of different smart phone hardware designs whereas the iPhone has one singular user interface on one type of hardware. Android folks aren't necessarily wed to one smart phone maker or another. When it's time for me to replace my Android, I simply look for the best bang for my dollar. Consequently, I don't often replace my phone with the same manufacturer. A better comparison would be brand loyalty. Look at the people who might be loyal to a flagship Android brand like Samsung or LG and compare that to Apple.
Exactly!
Re:Problem (Score:4, Insightful)
iOS has a lot more lock in. Try to switch away and you need to re-buy all your apps, your HomePod is a brick, you need to re-upload all your cloud data, your dongles and peripherals are bricked...
Switching Android phones doesn't have so much lock in.
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Hoe can a switch from iOS to Android be more "complicated" than a switch from Android to iOS?
Probably because just about everything will integrate with Android, whereas Apple always has had and keeps adding more restrictions on what kind of devices AND software they'll allow to integrate with iOS. If it's not made by Apple, it almost certainly works with 100% of its features on Android, but the reverse is not true. This is why, for example, that even though Microsoft is good buddies with Apple (and mortal enemies with Google) they went with Android when their own platform met its inevitable end.
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Sorry, no idea what you are talking about.
The difficulty to move your files from an Android device to an iOS device is exactly the same as opposite direction.
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With Android I just plug the phone into a laptop or use one of many file manager apps with a (standard) trans
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I've had Android for a long time, and I've never felt monetized like I do with Apple. Say you want to transfer your mp3 library to your phone and use it with different media apps. With Apple I've found that you can find file transfer apps, but then they only work with certain other apps. The only other alternative is to use iTunes; and of course you see a lot of Apple advertising if you do that.
With Android I just plug the phone into a laptop or use one of many file manager apps with a (standard) transfer protocol and point any media app I want to the files.
But you're also the guy that claims that you HAVE to develop for iOS; so you have a pretty "victimized" view of things, in general.
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There's no contradiction. You make more money developing for iOS because iOS users tend to pay for apps and the locked down nature of the platform means people need to buy apps. You'll spend less money on Android because it's not as locked down and there are lots of good, free applications.
It's not just money too - developing on iOS is an absolute breeze but Android is a nightmare.
I.e. as a developer iOS is better. As a user Android is.
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I have used Android for years, never had any malware, and never needed to run AV utilities.
You can't keep the muggers out of Apple's walled garden, because it's Apple who is mugging you.
Yeah, you like it that way.
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Yes, that's one of Google's jobs as the maintainer of the Google Play Store.
Apple does the same with their App Store.
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There is no "Apple Advertizing" in iTunes.
With Android I just plug the phone into a laptop or use one of many file manager apps with a (standard) transfer protocol and point any media app I want to the files.
Depends on the device.
My Lenovo Yoga Book does not mount as an USB drive. I have the exact same vendor lock in on it as with my iPad.
There is actually no way at all to transfer my music from my Mac to my Joga Book. Except via eMail, probably, or I could set up a web server on my Mac and access it from t
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A file manager to access network shares like Total Commander doesn't work for you? I have a similar problem with USB, for different reasons (it's not vendor lock in, it just doesn't work on LineageOS with my device), and got around it using Total Commander with TotalCmd-LAN.
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You mean having a "TotalCommander" on the Android device and mounting a SMB share from the PC?
Would not help much as I have a file transfer utility on my Mac, but it only works with mouse drag&drop. I actually wanted to use grails or bash scripts on the Mac to access the device (yes, developer mode on the device is activated, it works fine with Android Studio)
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ince the Android landscape is so broken and fragmented
It's interesting how iFans like to speak negatively about this, when it's really Android's biggest strength. Apple caters to hipsters, people with deep pockets, and especially the douchebags that prominently display all of the latest apple devices in their bedroom or office and buy any decoration they can find to complement the appearances of their idevices.
because it will have its own store, wallet, and other branded crap
Seriously? This is your reasoning? Or, you know, you can just ignore all of that. Really, you can. What a novel concept. But I already know that you're
Did ever happen ? (Score:1)
Android users don't appear to be switching to the iPhone like they used to.
No Android user I know EVER switched to iOS. Why would you ?
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I've hear it both ways.
With Apple's ~40% market share you would need a 1.5:1 dis-loyalty ratio for market share to be stable between the two platforms, which is about what it is (14% vs 9%).
Meh.
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>"With Apple's ~40% market share"
Huh? Try that again, please. Most sources estimate Android phones have an 86-88% global market share. Whatever is left is every other platform AND Apple (not that there are many other platforms nowadays on smart phones).
Of course, there are a zillion ways to measure market share, but based on my observations (which is not in any way scientific) it does seem like about at least 8 out of 10 people I see have an Android phone.
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With Apple's ~40% market share
Globally, it's 14%. [blogs.com]
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The iPhone has changed Apple's business dramatically. iPhone sales have risen strongly over the years, from around 1.4 million iPhones sold in 2007 to more than 216 million units worldwide in 2017. In total, Apple has sold more than one billion iPhones worldwide from 2007 to 2017.
see: https://www.statista.com/stati... [statista.com]
On a planet with 8 billion inhabitants that hardly translates to 14%.
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Basic math (Score:2)
Well, 12.5%, counting everyone (probably shouldn't do that either, so at least somewhat nearer 14%.)
But only if you assume that no one has ever bought more than one iPhone.
Do you think that's a valid assumption?
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Um, no (Score:2)
"inhabitants" is not synonymous with "size of the market."
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Er, so you are agreeing with me?
Put it another way, if there is one person who wants to buy 10 widgets, or 10 people who want to buy 1 each, the size of the market is 10 widgets.
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Depends how many people have a smartphone, or not?
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We are not talking about percent math.
We talked about: the planet has 8billion people.
1,7billion iOS phones gor sold.
Probably only 50% of those 8B have a smart phone, so that makes 4B smart phones and 1.7billion are Apples.
So: a market share of 12% makes no sense. No one is throwing iPhones so quick away that the market share would be so super low.
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The best estimate of iPhones in use seems to be 700 million (November 2017). 4.77 billion mobile phones are in use. Android phones, that support Google Play, were at 2 billion (May 2017,rising 0.6 billion from the previous year), so Android phones are probably at around 2.8 billion, given a rise in usage overall, and some non-Play phones. So the proportion seems likely to be:
,
Caveats and error bars
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iPhone sales have risen strongly over the years, from around 1.4 million iPhones sold in 2007 to more than 216 million units worldwide in 2017.
Whereas Android rose to 1,290 million phones sold in 2017. And that's what I was talking about, market share, total sales from last year only.
In total, Apple has sold more than one billion iPhones worldwide from 2007 to 2017.
Tomi's numbers give Apple's installed base as 612 million units, or 19%, whereas Android's base is 2,696 million units, or 81%. All other systems put together sold so little that they get rounded down to 0%. I assume that's an estimate of everything still in use, not obsolete devices long abandoned in some drawer.
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Android users don't appear to be switching to the iPhone like they used to.
No Android user I know EVER switched to iOS. Why would you ?
No iOS user I know EVER switched to Android.
Why would you?
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https://medium.com/swlh/how-i-... [medium.com]
There, now you know one. Leaving the walled garden is hard but some do manage.
Eh, that's not how I read the statistic. (Score:5, Insightful)
I mean, it seems rather obvious that the Android percentage would be higher, but it does not mean a higher "loyalty", but exactly the opposite.
Specifically, from what I can find, about 86% of phones sold are Android - apart from lower priced devices, there is also a huge selection, compared to the iOS devices being just 3 models, so it would make sense that more Android devices would be sold even if iOS was a better OS overall (it is in many ways, it is not in several others).
So, they say that there is a 91% chance for an android user to stick with Android - so a bit higher than the overall Android market share which is expected from a user who has a bias towards the device they are used to.
However, even though iOS devices have just a 13% market share, an iOS owner has a rather staggering 86% chance of buying another iOS device. That sure is some serious brand loyalty and it is what we've come to expect from Apple users.
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I mean, it seems rather obvious that the Android percentage would be higher, but it does not mean a higher "loyalty", but exactly the opposite. Specifically, from what I can find, about 86% of phones sold are Android - apart from lower priced devices, there is also a huge selection, compared to the iOS devices being just 3 models, so it would make sense that more Android devices would be sold even if iOS was a better OS overall (it is in many ways, it is not in several others). So, they say that there is a 91% chance for an android user to stick with Android - so a bit higher than the overall Android market share which is expected from a user who has a bias towards the device they are used to. However, even though iOS devices have just a 13% market share, an iOS owner has a rather staggering 86% chance of buying another iOS device. That sure is some serious brand loyalty and it is what we've come to expect from Apple users.
TFA says something similar at the end:
All that being said, the rate of switching is different from the total number of people switching, the firm also pointed out. And looking at the numbers from that perspective changes things.
“We know Android has a larger base of users than iOS, and because of that larger base, the absolute number of users that switch to iOS from Android is as large or larger than the absolute number of users that switch to Android from iOS,” said Levin.”Looking at abs
Make Sense, Android more Selection (Score:2)
Actually this makes pretty good sense, if you choose an Android phone, there's a larger selection of hardware and the APPs that you purchase or use end up staying with you. Phone or Tablet selection is great in that you can get something dirt cheap up to fairly expensive and powerful. With IOs you're suddenly stuck with much fewer hardware choices, generally very expensive.
Fake news. (Score:2)
Smartphones are only *truly* loyal to the platform vendor.
Tattoos real test of loyalty (Score:4, Interesting)
The other day a friend told me of going to a meeting and seeing a guy who had an Apple logo tattooed to his upper arm. We had a good laugh. Now that there is loyalty - perhaps cultish loyalty. So I was going to comment that Apple users are obviously more loyal using this anecdote, but then I did quick image search and sure enough - there are idiots out there with Android logo tattoos. :(
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The other day a friend told me of going to a meeting and seeing a guy who had an Apple logo tattooed to his upper arm. We had a good laugh. Now that there is loyalty - perhaps cultish loyalty. So I was going to comment that Apple users are obviously more loyal using this anecdote, but then I did quick image search and sure enough - there are idiots out there with Android logo tattoos. :(
Hey, I'll give you serious cred for at least doing the research BEFORE posting! And then, even MORE cred for being HONEST about the results!!!
So rare here in Slashtard-land...
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We seem to agree. There are stupid people out there with tattoos.
How honest and brave we are!
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What to do when you're still loyal but they change the logo?
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They are certainly brave (Score:2, Interesting)
I bought an iPad. Apple repeatedly broke it until I became unwilling even bother with it. That taught me I definitely didn't want an iPhone.
Watching my SO fight with hers merely confirmed my decision. Her next phone will be an Android-based model, because she's watched mine consistently work with very few problems, and no significant problems at all.
Bottom line, Android works well enough, and yes, just pre-ordered a new one (S9+.) It still has a headphone jack. And a memory card. And no "notch." I appreciat
Curious how this would change (Score:4, Interesting)
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I'm curious how this would change if app authors gave you a license to both the Android and iOS version of their app when you bought it. I imagine a lot of the loyalty is actually to the person's library of apps, not the OS itself.
THAT is a VERY interesting point.
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It would change nothing.
Take WhatsApp as an example. The App is free (so, you have a licence for both iOS and Android), but you can not move YOUR DATA between Android to iOS.
So, once you have a sizeable amount of data in one platform, it behoves you to stay there.
And that is on top of muscle memory and the time you spent familiarizing yourself with the interfaces, etc.
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Reliability of Survey (Score:3, Insightful)
So, they are basing that headline on FIVE whole percentage points?
What was the margin of error in the Survey? Most I've seen are +/- at least 2 or 3 points.
Sorry, completely unconvinced; plus we're talking an aggregate of dozens of Android brands at all imaginable price points, vs. ONE brand of fairly premium-priced phones.
I'd say that, if you tightened that study up a bit, you'd find quite a bit MORE "brand loyalty" on the Apple side.
But that wasn't what the "researchers" were LOOKING FOR, was it?
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Apple can barely support their software on the tiny subset of hardware that they themselves make.
It's always been that way.
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Licensed macOS computers would imply that Apple had produced an open documented hardware platform. They haven't, and they can't except at huge expense. And they won't because that isn't their chosen market segment.
Apple thrives on being a fractional player in the PC and the Cellphone market. Their whole market approach is to skim off some of the people who will pay extra.
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Licensed macOS computers would imply that Apple had produced an open documented hardware platform. They haven't, and they can't except at huge expense. And they won't because that isn't their chosen market segment.
Apple thrives on being a fractional player in the PC and the Cellphone market. Their whole market approach is to skim off some of the people who will pay extra.
Hey, stupid!
What's "Open" or "Documented" about Windows?
It seems to exist on MANY different hardware platforms.
You're an idiot. Just go away.
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That's the beauty in Android, you can choose from an array of different phones with different features and keep Android as the OS. If you're crying it's not fair, then that's Apple's fault for not allowing iOS on other devices.
The Android-lovers are REALLY lucky Apple DOESN'T allow iOS on other hardware.
Android would be GONE in about a month!
It could just be moving back. (Score:2)
If you have three populations: Apple loyalists, Android loyalists, and people who are willing to move from platform to platform, it would make sense that a period where more people moved from Android to iOS might be followed by the reverse. That assumes that most people don't want to deal with swapping out their software and either OS is good enough, but I think there's a case for that.
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Apple products are better characterized as the Buick of the consumer electronics marketplace.
There are many other car makes that one can choose. Or you can get your Buick. More expensive than some, and hey, it's a brand to rally around.
Comparing Apples and Oranges ? (Score:2)
If I use an Apple product I am on iOS. If I choose an android environment I can switch between many different device manufacturers. Doesn't seem like a fair comparison.
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What? It's unfair to compare one software platform with another because one is tied to one hardware platform while the other isn't? If anything, software loyalty should be greater with the system that locks you in to one vendor, especially considering it being touted as the one that "just works" and stuff...
I would consider Apple (Score:2)
if they got rid of the whole I-Tunes is mandatory to do ANYTHING on the damn phone requirement.
Oh, and while you're at it, I want another phone the size of the Iphone 4 again. Those fit in the pockets rather well. :|
These damn things get any bigger, they're gonna come with attachments you can use to carry it around on your arm like a shield.
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Mac fans show their people skills once again.