Prices and user experience drive smartphone OS switching, poll suggests
There are countless reasons users may opt to jump from one mobile operating system to another, but the results of a recent poll suggest hardware pricing and user experience are key factors in making such decisions.
PCMag recently conducted a survey of 2,500 U.S. consumers to shed light on the mobile switcher phenomenon as it pertains to iOS and Android, the segment's two dominant platforms.
Only 29 percent of respondents actually admitted to swapping sides, while the rest remained steadfast with their platform of choice. Interestingly, more traded in Android for iOS (18 percent) over those that went from iOS to Android (11 percent). Of those polled, 54 percent had an iPhone, while 27 percent had a Samsung handset running some flavor of Android.
According to the poll, 47 percent of those who moved to iOS (which comes to around 202 people) said they moved to iOS for a better user experience, while 30 percent of those switching to Android said the same thing. Android's biggest benefit over iOS was cost, where 29 percent of those who went to Android cited the lower prices, presumably attached to hardware.
Source: PCMag.com
Other features were less compelling, including better features, better apps, better customer service, and faster software updates.
The survey included a few other bits of information, including the fact that 56 percent of those polled don't care about the release of new smartphones, while 34 percent buy a new phone when their contract expires. Over half said they only replace their phone when it breaks.
PCMag recently conducted a survey of 2,500 U.S. consumers to shed light on the mobile switcher phenomenon as it pertains to iOS and Android, the segment's two dominant platforms.
Only 29 percent of respondents actually admitted to swapping sides, while the rest remained steadfast with their platform of choice. Interestingly, more traded in Android for iOS (18 percent) over those that went from iOS to Android (11 percent). Of those polled, 54 percent had an iPhone, while 27 percent had a Samsung handset running some flavor of Android.
According to the poll, 47 percent of those who moved to iOS (which comes to around 202 people) said they moved to iOS for a better user experience, while 30 percent of those switching to Android said the same thing. Android's biggest benefit over iOS was cost, where 29 percent of those who went to Android cited the lower prices, presumably attached to hardware.
Source: PCMag.com
Other features were less compelling, including better features, better apps, better customer service, and faster software updates.
The survey included a few other bits of information, including the fact that 56 percent of those polled don't care about the release of new smartphones, while 34 percent buy a new phone when their contract expires. Over half said they only replace their phone when it breaks.
Comments
2) If this was a US poll then what Andriod-based vendors offer better customer service than Apple? Do any Android-based vendor have anything that resembles the Apple Store?
Another advantage Android has at retail is big bright screens. That sells phones when a customer is standing at a retail location doing a comparison. No matter that those screens suck more juice, requiring a larger battery, that in aggregate across hundreds of millions of smartphones over years and years adds up to a bunch more coal-fired power plants dotting the Chinese landscape and fogging the skies, plus more lithium mined, and higher piles of electronic waste. Apple thinks about such things and leans toward more ethical behavior whereas it’s my impression Android vendors are out for market share and the next sale. And it’s only months or a couple short years later that the consumer taken in by that big bright display sees ghost images burned in or dead pixels and is trashing his Android handset because it never worked very well, was sluggish and buggy and can’t be updated. But the next big bright screen and promise of the latest Android version awaits at an affordable price at the local mall. And the con game goes around one more cycle...
Strange that "security" and "privacy" weren't on the list of factors, but I suppose that would be too lop-sided.
In addition, i would expect the result to be skewed to some degree towards stated perceived reasons why android may be better while the real reason is e.g. the inability to afford something more expensive, or lack of data (e.g. “advice” given in some phone shops).
Note that I was careful to say "for me". For what I like to do with devices it is simply a better option. Naturally, some prefer iOS "for them" and that's fine too.