9 out of 10 iPhone owners plan to take another bite of the Apple. That's according to research from investment bank UBS about which mobile ecosystems users want to stick with when the time comes for a new phone.
89 per cent of current iPhone owners surveyed intend to stay with Apple and buy another iPhone the next time they plonk down their hard-earned for a new smart phone. They'd better dig out their chequebooks then, as the iPhone 5 is just around the corner.
The next highest retention rate is HTC, but with just 39 per cent of owners surveyed saying they'll stick with the Taiwanese company. When less than half of your customers say they'd buy another product from you, it's got to be a cause for concern.
Android phones in general fared better in the 'stickiness' stakes: 60 per cent of those surveyed will get another Android phone when their current Google-powered blower gets boring. But 30 per cent of them want to cross the park to Apple.
Only a third of BackBerry owners will stick with their BlackBerry, which must be worrying for the boys and girls at Research in Motion.
The research, called the Global Telecom Equipment Analyser, assesses trends in mobile use. In one section, the researchers asked 515 smart phone-owning executives at 30 European and American mobile networks about their habits. That's not many people in the grand scheme of things -- and as business-minded businessy types they might not be representative of the greater population -- so you'd be forgiven for taking the results with a pinch of salt.
Still, the results make sense: as the app ecosystem that's been around longest, the iPhone will have many users committed by virtue of the many apps they've downloaded. Plus new apps generally come to the iPhone and iPad first, with Android apps usually following later. After a couple of years of app use, iPhone owners probably won't want to switch -- but if they do, Android has a less restricted and faster growing range of apps to choose from.
Are you planning to trade in your phone for a different operating system, or will you upgrade to the next version of the same phone? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.
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Peter Hudson 23 September, 2011 14:08
Well I got rid of my iPhone 3GS last week and got a Galaxy S2.
So I suppose I'm one of the 1 out of 10
anonymous 23 September, 2011 14:09
Clearly then 9 out of 10 iPhone owners have s**t for brains and more money than sense.
anonymous 23 September, 2011 14:20
Should that not read "9 out of 10 Executive iPhone users", if the report was based on findings from "Executives", then it's really a load of tosh!
anonymous 23 September, 2011 14:30
Actually it should read 9 out of 10 smug, pretentious, materialistic network executives would buy another iPhone.
The irony that the brand for 'individual' and 'creative' people instills a dogmatic loyalty to an inferior product is certainly not lost on me.
anonymous 23 September, 2011 14:40
Wow, as soon as there is a story about Apple you can guarantee the haters who are so poor they probably haven't even seen an iPhone come out and start slagging it off.
Just because you're jealous doesn't mean it's not as good as your cheap chinese plastic, the sales speak for itself its the best selling phone ever.
Oh and as a Graphic Designer I can say that creative people use Apple products because the performace is so much better than M$ and because we appreciate the original intuitive design not rip-off copies and clones.
Mark Anderson 23 September, 2011 14:44
"Oh and as a Graphic Designer I can say that creative people use Apple products because the performace is so much better than M$ and because we appreciate the original intuitive design not rip-off copies and clones."
As someone with a proper job I'd say most of the world uses Windows because it's better and has more software. Just so you know. If you think a shiny box makes you better at your job then you're being a bit silly.
And UBS? Aren't they the ones who keep losing huge amounts of money because of these... err... 'execs'?
Peter Hudson 23 September, 2011 14:46
Sorry anon, I've had iPhones since the very start, religiously updating them. I always scoffed at android phones, but to my surprise, I've been really impressed with my galaxy s2.
There's nothing wrong with iPhones, but then Android phones really are great as well
anonymous 23 September, 2011 15:00
'If you think a shiny box makes you better at your job then you're being a bit silly.'
If you think that having hardware and software optimised to work together for a particular task doesnt benefit your workflow then you are being silly.
And if you don't consider design to be a 'proper job' then please be kind enough to explain why my boss would pay me £35,000 a year to spend my time doing it?
anonymous 23 September, 2011 15:02
9 out of 10 iPhone users are part of Steve Job's human botnet.
Mark Anderson 23 September, 2011 15:08
"If you think that having hardware and software optimised to work together for a particular task doesnt benefit your workflow then you are being silly."
It absolutely does, that's why most of the world uses Windows and the software that goes with it. That includes 'creative' people by the way (the idea that anyone who is creative would be tied to merely one platform and not use all the tools available is comical though).
"And if you don't consider design to be a 'proper job' then please be kind enough to explain why my boss would pay me £35,000 a year to spend my time doing it?"
It's not a bad wage though I suppose. Still well shy of what I as a mere Windows user pull in though.
anonymous 23 September, 2011 15:19
@Anon
35K is certainly nothing to be proud of!!
Based on your "poor haters" comment I thought you'd be on a high salary
Without wanting to make you look an even bigger idiot, the price for a Galaxy S 2 is about 450-550 an iPhone 4 is 400-500
anonymous 23 September, 2011 15:23
9 out of 10 iPhone users is an automaton
anonymous 23 September, 2011 15:37
why don't all those iphone users buy ipads 2s also. It comes preloaded with all the garbage hardware that Apple gives their valued customers: like a .7 megapixel front facing camera and a 1.3 megapixel back camera. You can't say anything about that though, because an Apple fanboy will swear and post everywhere that their ipad takes better pictures than any tablet out there.....and that's just one example of people talking up Apples garbage products.
Morons that don't know anything about technology and hardware in general are Apple's main consumer.....Apple prey on stupid people and it seems there are a lot out there.
"An uneducated consumer is Apples best customer."
anonymous 23 September, 2011 15:38
Actually 35k puts me in the top 10% by income, and far from making me look stupid, it makes you look stupid that you would pay more for an inferior product.
anonymous 23 September, 2011 15:41
bro 35k is on the low end of average salary in the U.S......and no I'm not the guy that post about your salary before, but you should not be defending that figure so hard.
anonymous 23 September, 2011 15:46
Wow got to love the Apple hate! Let's face facts shall we. Every time an iPhone comes out it becomes the best phone on the market. Android releases a new top of the range phone every 6 months and it has taken nearly 16 montha to come out the with Galaxy 2. The iPhone 5 will be a better phone than that. Becuase it has the best interface, simple as. No stalling or hitching, just a super smooth experience.
Rich Trenholm 23 September, 2011 15:51
I wish I earned £35k. Here at CNET UK we get paid in bits of fluff, mis-matched shoes and broken biscuits
anonymous 23 September, 2011 15:54
'No stalling or hitching, just a super smooth experience.'
Until you have to use iTunes.
anonymous 23 September, 2011 15:55
9 out of 10 iPhone users are in denial.
anonymous 23 September, 2011 15:59
@ Rich
Ah but I bet the shoes are by Stuart Weitzman, the fluff is the finest alpaca wool and the biscuits are from a Fortnum and Masons hamper.
anonymous 23 September, 2011 16:07
"9 out of 10 iPhone users is an automaton"
Haha love it!
anonymous 23 September, 2011 16:14
Inferior product?
The general consensus is that the Galaxy 2 s and HTC Sensation are a far better device in pretty much every way.
I don't know how you worked out that 35k puts you in the top 10%, Apple junkies rubbish at maths too now?
25-26k is the national average so there is no way a mere 10k more puts you up in the top 10%, unless you mean top 10% of graphic designers ;)
Its hilarious that you backtrack, first of all Apple haters hate because they can't afford an iPhone, now they're stupid for paying MORE for what you wrongly think is an inferior product, once it was pointed out the iPhone isn't THAT expensive Brilliant!!
anonymous 23 September, 2011 16:18
35k????
I don't scratch my own nads for 35k
anonymous 23 September, 2011 16:34
'I don't scratch my own nads for 35k'
Would you pay me 35k to scratch your nads? I could do with the extra income, I have clean nails and no sense of shame.
anonymous 23 September, 2011 16:37
Actually £35k is in the top 10% check out the wikipedia article on uk average income, although the figures are a couple of years old.
anonymous 23 September, 2011 16:39
Everyone who's saying they wouldn't scratch their nads for £35k or they earn way more etc are arrogant idiots, in fact, just the type of people i would expect to own an iPhone.
Mister_Andee 23 September, 2011 16:41
I wonder how many Android users will be switching to the iPhone 5 when it comes out...
anonymous 23 September, 2011 16:45
I really do not understand the hate for the iPhone. And great the Galaxy 2 is better than the Iphone 4, only took them over a year to make a better phone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
anonymous 23 September, 2011 16:48
@ Mister Andee
I don't know about people but apparently 30% of network executives will.
"But 30 per cent of them want to cross the park to Apple."
anonymous 23 September, 2011 16:51
If its in Wikipedia it must be true...
Or :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8151355.stm
Even that one is a couple of years old
anonymous 23 September, 2011 16:59
NEVER QUESTION THE VERACITY OF WIKIPEDIA!!!
Seriously please don't most of my knowledge is gained from there and if it turns out my life is a lie I'm not sure I could live with myself.
anonymous 23 September, 2011 17:09
I showed one of my friend who has an iPhone my HTC sensation recently. He was astonished how much better things like web browsing and google maps were on it compared to his iPhone. I'm not an android fanatic or an apple hater, I just did a lot of research into my phone before buying. I genuinely believe the current crop of android phones are significantly and noticeably better than the iPhone. If apple make a better phone when it's time to upgrade, I'll certainly consider it. At the moment though, I don't believe they do. My friend admitted to me that he had bought his iPhone because he didn't actually realise other phone could do the same things. I disrespect that's quite common amongst a lot of iPhone users. I also get the impression that apple are real masters of what is known as 'the engineering of consent'. People buy their products not necessarily because they're the best , but for unconscious emotional reasons.
anonymous 23 September, 2011 17:13
I just remember ones of Apples old ad slogans which made me chuckle :
"Think Different"
anonymous 23 September, 2011 17:29
I think a lot of people buy IPhones not because they're very good, but because they think they're a symbol of being partof an affluent urban creative class. I think the person who posted about being a graphic designer and telling us about his salary neatly illustrated the psychological motives behind why a lot of people buy apple. That's been Apple's marketing genius. They have managed to convince a lot of people that what is now essentially a ubiquitous, mid range phone is somehow an emblem of your place in society. The tragedy is that so many people have fallen for it .
Mister_Andee 23 September, 2011 17:41
I bought my 3GS because it was easily the best phone on the market a couple of years ago. I'm overdue a new phone but have waited for the iPhone 5 as I've been really enjoyed the 3GS and it still works as well as it did when I unboxed it. I've also invested in apps that I want to continue using.
I am well aware that there are other highly competitive options in WP and Android and if the iPhone 5 doesn't match up then I'll switch over. Personally, I expect it to be an excellent product in keeping with their track record but if it's not I won't be crying.
The notion that I'm buying an iPhone to be part of some kind of affluent urban creative class is laughable. The bottom line is that they make very good products and I'm a happy customer.
anonymous 23 September, 2011 18:16
Mister_andree, please re read the finer points of my post. I said 'lots of' people buy iPhones for that reason, not 'all'
anonymous 24 September, 2011 00:43
it means 10 out of 10 android user's buy Android again and again and 1 in 10 fanboys see the light and go over to android Gotta laugh hahaha
anonymous 24 September, 2011 09:04
I love reading these comments to laugh at all the middle-aged fanboys
If you want fashion and computers that are easy, buy apple
If you want better harware with more open software and better compatibility, buy android/windows
Mister_Andee 24 September, 2011 10:54
Judging from these posts a lot of Android owners have an inferiority complex and have to validate their technology choices by bashing Apple. Pretty sad.
anonymous 28 September, 2011 16:30
All I know is that I have been using Apple products since the 90s and I've never had an issue with them as far as their quality of programs and hardware is concerned. The price for their products are high, I'll give you that, but I think they are worth it if you have the money. In the end, it's all a matter of opinion. It really is. I can also slander and bash MS and everything else that isn't Apple, but there is no point to it. They all have their pros and cons.
... and I'll probably be flamed as soon as I post this because I like Apple products.