Study: Android Phone Owners More Loyal Than iOS Phone Owners

Android smartphone owners are more loyal compared to iOS smartphone owners, according to the results of a new study by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP). The study itself looks back at the levels of customer migration over the last few years and while both operating systems have shown increasing levels of loyalty among its users, Android seems to be consistently ranking higher month after month. Which is especially notable seeing as the study shows that prior to 2014 Android was behind iOS in terms of customer retention.

Of course, one of the big changes that has happened over the last few years is the decline in other operating systems to the point now where it is really only a choice between Android and iOS. Which is one of the reasons CIRP notes how the two operating systems have continued to see greater loyalty, with customers having to either stick with the company it knows or migrate to the one other option. Likewise, this also means that whenever one operating system does lose a customer, it inevitably loses the customer to the other operating system. Something that seems unlikely to change in the near future. In spite of the increase for the two operating systems both were noted as having leveled off in 2017 compared to the years before.

CIRP notes that between January 2016 and December 2017 Android loyalty ranged between 89 and 91-percent. This is compared to iOS which during the same time-frame has seen its loyalty range from 85 to 88-percent. It is also worth noting that as of December 2017 (the last measurement taken), Android was at 91-percent representing its highest point to date while iOS registered 86-percent loyalty – below its highest level in 2017. As to why Android seems to be maintaining a higher level of loyalty, CIRO’s Josh Lowitz, attributes this to two primary reasons. The first being the reduction in difference between the two operating systems at the user experience level. The second being the wider selection of devices on offer with Android which offers consumers the option to change hardware without having to change the software experience. For reference, the sample sizes used here at relatively small with the CIRP noting data was collected from 500 people and is specifically relevant to US consumers who have activated a new phone during each period. Though the sample size has remained consistent for each period. Interestingly, another recent report suggested Android users were harder to retain compared to iOS users at the app level.