Smartphone users are 'afraid' to change operating systems when buying new devices

Market research firm CIRP has just released the results of a survey on users' loyalty to the smartphone platform they are using as well as their intention to choose a new phone when they next replace it. Accordingly, up to 94% of iPhone users confirmed that they will continue to stick with the phone brand produced by Apple if they buy a new phone.

A similar pattern was found in the survey of Android smartphone users, regardless of the brand that manufactured the hardware. Specifically, 91% of Android owners choose to stick with the same operating system if they replace their device.

The results suggest that consumers tend to stick with what they’re familiar with, and platform loyalty is more prominent among Apple users, but it’s not necessarily the only option. Less than 10% of customers said they would switch from iOS to Android and vice versa when buying a new smartphone.

One interesting finding from CIRP’s report is that iPhones are more likely to “attract” Android users than the other way around. A whopping 14% of current iPhone owners surveyed said their previous phone (within the last year) was an Android, while only 4% of iPhone users switched to Android.

Previously, a report from The Financial Times shows that Gen Z (those born after 1996) are increasingly favoring iPhones over Android devices, even when compared to current flagships on the market.