I found the repurchase behavior figures of the same study quite interesting. It would seem that Android users are the most loyal to their type of smartphone when it comes to buying a new device. 89% will buy another phone running Google’s platform, while only 84% of iPhone users will buy another one of Apple’s smartphones. BlackBerry users are third, at 61%. Also interesting is that 33% of Symbian S60 users and 36% of Palm Pre users would buy an iPhone. There are already voices saying that the only reason Verizon users were buying Android devices was that they were the best alternative a the time to the iPhone. We’ll just see if that’s true, now that Verizon also has Apple’s device on offer. What about you? What do you own today and what will you buy when you contract expires / phone breaks? Will you stick with an iPhone or Android or are you planning to make a switch? The iPhone has 1 flavor, 1 style. You either love it or you hate it, and if you hate it you are probably using something else. So of course iPhone users are going to be satisfied. I think what Apple has going for it just that when you buy an iPhone, you know exactly what you are getting. The iPhone is very straight-forward and simple, it might not have the best mobile OS but it is one that only allows a user to be angry at themselves for purchasing it. This is of course, because Apple is a closed book and doesn’t allow other manufacturers (HTC, Samsung, Motorola…) to tweak iOS to match their own custom devices and style. The iPhone’s slogan is simple. Millions of apps, two cameras, Apple warranty, and a simple interface, only on At&t (that is changing soon). – Any average joe understands what that means and what they are getting. On the other hand, when you get a Windows 7 phone, Blackberry, Palm, or Android, there is no guarantee what your experience will really be. These OS tend to vary too much depending on what piece of hardware you buy, and for most cases people are just buying it to be “different than Apple” without actually knowing what the device is capable of. Other OS slogans might be: Great performance, “openness,” tons of free apps, “the best hardware available,” or “better than Apple,” HD video & pictures… – None of which really tells us about the product unless we are a very informed consumer. To illustrate: It’s the same reason Red Robin is one of the most successful restaurants in the United States. You walk in and you expect them to have burgers, and guess what, they have burgers. They might not be the best burgers in the world, but your expectations were met. This is what iPhone users experience, for the most part. Comparatively you have your local ethnic restaurant, lets say Thai. You walk in and expecting delicious Thai food like you are accustomed to, but this place has a different style. Whether you loved it or hated it, your expectations were not met and so you likely weren’t completely satisfied. This is the same case for the majority of Android and other mobile users. Personally, I’ve been disappointed with my Android phone. Android is a great OS, and I love it, but my disappointment is with the phone itself. Why? Because when I purchased the phone I was assured that it would get regular and timely system updates. This was not the case, I am still waiting for the Android 2.2 (Froyo) release that was “scheduled” for September of 2010. My expectations are not being met, and I will never buy a Samsung phone again. I’m still a fan of Android, but this particular style is simply not acceptable to me and I know many others feel the same way. Bah ;) Comment
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