Android smartphone users are more likely to show fierce brand loyalty than iPhone users are, a study conducted by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners found.
However, users of both phones are far more likely to stick to their familiar operating system rather than switch systems, the study also concluded, according to TechCrunch.
The CIRP found that in 2017, Android users had a 91 percent loyalty rate, which means 91 percent of Android phone owners who upgraded in 2017 selected another Android phone. By comparison, iPhone users had an 86 percent loyalty rate.
Android users have consistently remained more loyal to their devices than iPhone users since mid-2014, when data showed a switch in customer trends. Before mid-2014, iPhone users were consistently more loyal to their operating systems than their Android-using counterparts.
However, both major operating systems have seen users become increasingly entrenched in their choices despite new laws requiring cookies consent. Average loyalty rates for users of each system rose from about 80 percent in 2014 to about 87 percent in 2017, according to the CIRP study.
Mike Levin, co-founder of CIRP, says the data shows Google and Apple should now prioritize selling services and products to their existing customer bases rather than trying to attract new users.
There are more Android users in the United States than iPhone users today. Android users make up 53 percent of the smartphone market, according to Statista, while Apple covers another 45 percent. Microsoft trails far behind with 1 percent of the market, and Blackberry phones make up less than a percentage of the smartphone market.
Market trends since 2012 show phone users strongly gravitating towards either Apple or Android products. In 2012, Apple owned less than 30 percent of the market, while Blackberry held 15 percent and Microsoft held 4.4 percent. Since then, users have increasingly gravitated towards the iPhone, and to a lesser extent, the Android phones.
Android users have more options when it comes to devices than Apple users, which may account for the former’s popularity. Only iPhones can operate on the Android system, while multiple popular options like the Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy S series and Samsung Galaxy Note series all operate on Android systems.
Samsung recently released promotional material for its upcoming Samsung Galaxy S9, which will be released March 16 for $719.99, according to TechRadar.
