Investment research firm UBS today issued a report highlighting retention rates for smartphone users, judging consumer loyalty based on whether they plan to make their next purchase from the same manufacturer as their current handset. According to the worldwide survey, 89% of iPhone users report that they will purchase another iPhone.
No other manufacturer topped a 40% retention rate in the survey, with HTC taking second place at 40%. Android as a whole has a planned retention rate of about 55% according to the survey, indicating that while many current users of Android handsets are planning to switch manufacturers, a fair number of them do intend to stay with Android. But 31% of surveyed Android users report intending to switch to the iPhone for their next device, with over 50% of the total "switchers" planning to move to Apple from another manufacturer as only about 10% of switchers are moving away from Apple.
Research in Motion has experienced a steep drop in retention rate, with only 33% of current BlackBerry users planning to purchase another BlackBerry, down from 62% a year and a half ago. In contrast, Apple's retention has fallen only 6 percentage points over that time in the face of strong competition from Android.
Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive.
If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026.
Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors.
The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year.
In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
Production of foldable OLED displays for Apple's first foldable iPhone have begun ahead of its expected launch next year, Korea's ETNews reports.
The first foldable iPhone's displays are being produced by Samsung Display, who are establishing a production line dedicated to the upcoming Apple device its A3 factory in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do. The production line will make displays exclusively...
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device.
Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors.
Rumors
Faster Wi-Fi Support
The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report.
Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain.
Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
That's one advantage to Android. You can change manufacturers for your phone and retain your investment in the eco-system without much issue. Moving from the hot Samsung, HTC, Motorola or Sony model to the new hot model of the week does not make you lose all your apps. Not so for iOS.
I'll be replacing my iPhone 3GS with another iPhone just for this reason. I'd probably have moved on to Android or to another vendor (SAMOLED+ screen is quite tempting, those things are awesome!) if it weren't for this issue.
So in a sense, this high loyalty is probably a result (for some, not everybody of course!) of vendor lock-in.
Surprised that others suck so much.... but I am not surprised by results.
Apple has apple store with some brilliant customer service to back their devices up.
If I ever have problem with Samsung or HTC phone, then what do I have to do?
Contact carriers and they say go to manufacturers. You have to ship the phone out and call.... blah blah blah.
It's a nightmare.
Samsung promised Froyo 2.2 release on my friend's captivate for September 2010 and it was never released until mid 2011. Once you buy their products, they don't even bother to help you.
I will stick with apple iPhone and iPad as long as apple provides excellent customer service with great apps.
Nothing can come close to apple's customer service at this point. Thanks to mighty Jobs.
That iPhone users are loyal comes as no surprise. That's what happens when you look after your customers.
What is surprising is the catastrophic results for Nokia (second chart). It was obvious they would lose out significantly to Apple et. al., but to this extent?
I'm about to be one of their lost customers. I've been a fan of Nokia since digital mobiles came to market around 16 years ago - almost all of my phones have been Nokias.
So why am I switching? 1) Nokia phones no longer sync with OSX Lion. True this is primarily Apple's fault and I really do resent Apple "manipulating" me in this underhand way. But Nokia have had years to develop a user-friendly interface to OSX and they haven't bothered (their Windows interface is pretty sh**** too). That is NOT looking after your customers. And 2) Nokia have got into bed with Microsoft. Sorry, Nokia, there is no way on this earth that I'm moving to Microsoft! That is certainly not looking after your customers!
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
