A recent survey shows that 27% of those who use Apple’s iPhone have had one for at least five years
Apple’s iPhone continues to be at the top of the heap in terms of brand loyalty among smartphone users. A new survey indicates that nearly 90% of those who use an iPhone would recommend it to their friends. The survey also shows that iPhone users tend to stay with Apple longer than users of smartphones made by other companies.
Apple fans are true blue
Protect Your Bubble commissioned the survey, which polled 1,500 people through YouGov. The poll found that 27% of the people who owned an iPhone had used one for at least five years. Sony was in second place with 24%, while HTC was in third with 21% and Nokia was in fourth place with 13%. Surprisingly, Samsung’s popular Galaxy S line was in fifth place with only 11% of owners saying they’d had it for at least five years.
The also results showed that 89% of iPhone users would tell their friends to buy one. In second place was Samsung, with 77% of owners recommending a Samsung device to their friends. HTC was hot on Samsung’s heels though with 76%. Sony was in fourth place with 71% of users saying they would recommend a Sony smartphone to their friend, and Nokia was fifth with 68%.
What would make smartphone users switch?
The poll also indicated that one-third of Apple users who participated said nothing would convince them to switch and try a smartphone made by another company. Second place wasn’t even close, going to Nokia with 16% of Nokia users saying nothing would make them switch.
For those who would switch smartphone brands, battery life was the biggest reason, as 35% of participants said they would think about changing if a competitor offered a device with longer battery life. A better mobile phone plan was in second place with 27%, and 22% wanted a smartphone that was less expensive.
The poll takers concluded that overall, Apple has the most loyal users, while Samsung and HTC are tied for second place.
Apple’s ecosystem is sticky
The results of this survey are certainly no surprise, as analysts from multiple firms have frequently written about the stickiness of Apple’s ecosystem over the years. The company has focused on not only the devices it offers but also the services that go along with it. iTunes was Apple’s biggest success in services and helped secure the iOS platform in many consumers’ minds as the dominant one.
Many analysts think Apple Pay will go a long way toward ratcheting up Apple’s stickiness even further. Early studies suggest the payments service is catching on more quickly than Google Wallet, although for now, Apple Pay isn’t expected to add much to the company’s top line.
