According to new data published by market research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), it turns out that over the last couple of years, Android smartphone owners have become more loyal to their mobile operating system compared to those who use devices that run on Apple’s iOS platform.
CIRP collected its data within a period spanning July 2013 until June 2015. And the research firm found that 82 percent of Android users stayed with Google’s mobile operating system when they bought a new smartphone. As for Apple’s iOS, it managed a 78 percent loyalty rate over the same period of time. CIRP got its data by surveying 4,000 mobile users across the United States every quarter for two years.
Other mobile operating systems not named Android or iOS did not do so well. For example, BlackBerry had to make do with just 4 percent of its users showing some loyalty during the two year period. Even Microsoft’s Windows OS only managed to get a 19 percent loyalty rate among its users.
CIRP’s data shows that Android and iOS appear to be destined to compete against each other. Also, the results of the surveys strongly suggest that mobile users in general do not really like switching to a new mobile operating system. As for other companies vying to be as popular as Android or iOS, CIRP’s study indicates that rising to the level of the Big Two is truly easier said than done.
Of course, CIRP is not the only group studying the loyalty rates of Android and iOS users. Back in 2013, a similar study was made by Retrevo on how likely Android and iOS users were to adopt new handsets having the same mobile platform. Retrevo’s data indicated that 81 percent of iOS users would purchase another Apple smartphone, while the loyalty rate for Android users stood at 63 percent.
Fast forward to two years and it appears that the tables have turned, with Android users now exhibiting better loyalty rates. Other studies made by other researchers seem to support this. According to a SurveyMonkey study released in April of this year, Samsung (which mostly produces Android powered devices) has the highest customer loyalty rate of any tech company, followed by Apple.
But what about those mobile users who are not that loyal? CIRP’s data shows that 16 percent of Android users switched to an iOS powered handset, while 20 percent of iOS users switched to an Android run device, during the two year period.
If you want to know more about CIRP’s study, you can go read the full document.
