Android appears to be rapidly losing loyal users to the iPhone, according to a recent survey by SellCell.
SellCell's survey examined the brand loyalty of five major smartphone makers, the preferred brand of choice for switchers, factors affecting brand loyalty and brand switching, and the most and least popular flagship smartphones based on the answers of 5,000 U.S.-based smartphone users.
According to the findings, brand loyalty for Apple is at an all-time high of almost 92 percent, up from 90.5 percent in 2019. Samsung, on the other hand, has seen a drop in loyalty of 11.7 percent from 85.7 percent in 2019 to 74 percent in 2021.
Apple users were found to be almost 18 percent more loyal to their brand than Samsung users, with as many as 26 percent of Samsung users intending to switch to another brand the next time they upgrade. 31.5 percent of Android users indicated that privacy concerns were the main reason for the switch, while 25 percent said that switching to iPhone would be better value for money.
The problem is not limited to Samsung users, with a similar trend being shown among Google Pixel users. The loyalty of Google Pixel users has dropped 18.8 percent from 84 percent in 2019 to 65.2 percent in 2021. Likewise, as many as 71 and 62.6 percent of Motorola and LG users respectively are looking to switch bands for their next upgrade.
Among those sticking with Android, only five percent said that they are doing so because of the ecosystem. As many as 18 percent said that they would switch if it was not too much hassle to change from Android to iOS.
Multiple sources of market data have revealed that Apple became the world's largest smartphone manufacturer in the fourth quarter of 2020, shipping 81.8 million units worldwide, compared to Samsung's 62 million, as Apple appears to be solidifying its lead in the industry.
46.6 percent of survey respondents thought that the iPhone 12 range was the best smartphone range, compared to 30.4 who thought the Samsung Galaxy S21 range was the best, but observers will be keen to see how the launch of Apple's expected iPhone 13 lineup affects the current trend. Even so, Android manufacturers have some way to go to challenge the growing hegemony of Apple, particularly in markets outside of Asia.
