In a recent survey of iPhone owners, 48% of those now wielding Apple’s smartphone had previously owned an Android phone. The data comes from an extensive report using information gathered from 4,000 individuals by analysts at Counterpoint Research, and shows despite the challenges those who switch from Android to iOS (or vice versa) often face, it didn’t put almost half of current iPhone owners off.
The research then states it’s Samsung and Google suffering the most when someone decides it’s time to buy an iPhone, to the point the paper warns Samsung may see a marked fall in S-series ownership over the next two years if the trend continues. It’s added that Samsung, along with brands like OnePlus and China’s market leader Vivo, are using AI and flagship specifications to differentiate devices, in an effort to entice and retain buyers.
Continuing, the report goes into detail about how often iPhone owners are upgrading their phones, and it’s shown those who buy a Pro model iPhone, like the latest iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, change their phone to a new one sooner than those who buy non-Pro models. On average, an iPhone Pro owner will keep their phone for 2.75 years, a shorter time than the 3.15 years a non-Pro iPhone owner sticks with their chosen device.
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It’s also stated the longer someone owns a non-Pro iPhone, the more likely it is for them to upgrade to a Pro model, attracted by getting the latest features and Apple technology sooner than they would with a non-Pro phone. Apple’s decision to restrict certain features common on all Android phones, like the always-on screen and a 120Hz refresh rate, is obviously encouraging people to upgrade, rather than sending them towards a Galaxy S25.
Apple’s latest phone is the iPhone 16e, its most basic brand-new phone, which sits below the iPhone 16 in the range. While some may question Apple’s decisions around the specification, it’s evident from research like this the company knows exactly what it’s doing when it comes to gaining, and keeping, smartphone buyers.