iOS and Android Retain Loyal Users at Similar Rates

[Mirascael]

Don't get confused with percentages. With Android's higher market share, a similar percentage of switchers means more users switching to iOS.

This.

Assume that roughly 20% of users are switching, and that 80% of users are on Android while 20% use iOS.

Now take a group of 100 users:

20% from 80% means 16 people switching from Android to iOs.
20% from 20% means 4 people switching from iOs to Android.

The numbers provided in the report clearly indicate a significant gain for iOS. Stats and numbers are all fine and good, but they are meaningless if you don't understand them. In this case, someone has totally misunderstood the information contained within the data.

 

[grundoon]

"People switching carriers to save money prefer not to drop $800+ on a new phone to do so." Insightful.

But failing to restrict the study to, say, $600+ smartphone models... well, tough to do a meaningful comparison without using comparables.

 

[mpavilion]

This.

Assume that roughly 20% of users are switching, and that 80% of users are on Android while 20% use iOS.

Now take a group of 100 users:

20% from 80% means 16 people switching from Android to iOs.
20% from 20% means 4 people switching from iOs to Android.

The numbers provided in the report clearly indicate a significant gain for iOS. Stats and numbers are all fine and good, but they are meaningless if you don't understand them. In this case, someone has totally misunderstood the information contained within the data.

But the report (and article) seem to be talking solely about retention percentage, not market share -- where does the misunderstanding come in(?)

 

[HenryDJP]

Apple is too locked down for me on all fronts (design, compatibility, etc).

Windows is not there yet, but interesting things are happening.

Android is the more pragmatic and flexible platform of the three, at least currently.

Even with an all-Apple ecosystem at home (ipads, Appletvs, 3 Macs), I and the wife switched to Android 2 years ago and haven't looked back.

If you haven't looked back since switching to Android then why are you here on an Apple Enthusiasts board?

 

[mpavilion]

If you haven't looked back since switching to Android then why are you here on an Apple Enthusiasts board?

Maybe because of his or her iPads, Apple TVs, and 3 Macs(?)

 

[HenryDJP]

Maybe because of his or her iPads, Apple TVs, and 3 Macs(?)

This isn't an iPad, Apple TV or Mac article. And before you say, Android is in the article topic, Android is not why people come here.

 

[melendezest]

a) I have

b) With crappy "let's learn to program" apps, let's be real...

c) That's not stock Android, isn't it. Those phones cost as much as the iPhone, so it's a matter of personal preference.

d) Great! I use either my Mac, or my iPad, or my Apple Watch, whichever is closer.

Don't know what you're getting at with the above.

I hear that app quality is superior on the Apple side. From my experience, I just don't see it. Not discounting that this isn't the case for the apps you choose to use, but from my experience everything has worked well enough. There are crap apps on both sides.

My argument was not limited to stock Android (although I like it). And you are correct, the phones I mention cost as much as iPhone. But they are NOT iPhone, and provide more and/or different features. So I'd rather pay for more. If "less is more" in your case, then so be it.

For item "d)", it's not that I cannot do these things, is that I choose not to. Apple does not have an advantage here. In Apple's case, you need the iPhone to be nearby for ALL THREE. That seems pointless to me. In contrast, my Android phone has been able to make WiFi calls for 2 YEARS, something I'll actually use that Apple still doesn't offer.

This is not an indictment towards your Apple preference. I'm just pointing out that feature for feature, I get "more" with Android devices (of similar quality and price), and miss out on NOTHING Apple offers, functionality-wise.

 

[itguy06]

Apple is too locked down for me on all fronts (design, compatibility, etc).

Windows is not there yet, but interesting things are happening.

Android is the more pragmatic and flexible platform of the three, at least currently.

Even with an all-Apple ecosystem at home (ipads, Appletvs, 3 Macs), I and the wife switched to Android 2 years ago and haven't looked back.

I'll take the "locked down" vs the garbage openness of Android any day. The fact that I can natively respond to SMS, take calls, and handoff from my Mac to iPhone os genius. It works very well and without some 3rd party hack like Android.

I don't need to control my phone to the Nth degree. I want a phone that is reliable, something that my GS5 never was. I want a phone that gets updates, something Android has yet to figure out to do reliably.

I will also take better compatibility with accessories as the makers test on iPhone rather than 100 different Android options.

I've gone iOS -> Android -> iOS -> Android -> iOS. I'll never go back to Android.

 

[crassusad44]

That's actually a statistically meaningful survey size, and then some.

Only if the sample is randomized. If it's not, it doesn't matter if the sample size is in the millions.

 

[melendezest]

This isn't an iPad, Apple TV or Mac article. And before you say, Android is in the article topic, Android is not why people come here.

Are you for real?

I, like many others here, simply want to contribute reasoned, relevant, relatively-unbiased, and useful information to a conversation comparing Android and Apple statistics.

Given that I am both a long-term Apple device user and a relatively-new Android device user, and I've learned a lot on these forums, I felt the need to put in my 2 cents.

Feel free to diregard or dismiss them at your convenience, though.

 

[itguy06]

In my case, my phone is a more personal device, and as such I like to personalize it. I want control over it, how it looks, be able to access battery (just because you never know), expand storage, have access to the file system, be less proprietary in general, etc. In other words, I want a pocket-PC.

I replaced the battery in my wife's iPhone 5 in 10 minutes. It lost charge after 2.25 years. You are also forgetting that more and more Androids are ditching the SD card, sealing the battery, and Google is severely restricting access to the File system.

I think that your statement is reversed: that many Apple users think that Android is wrought with problems and are afraid to give it a whirl.

I have, twice. And it still is riddled with problems.

 

[kdarling]

Assume that roughly 20% of users are switching, and that 80% of users are on Android while 20% use iOS.

Now take a group of 100 users:

20% from 80% means 16 people switching from Android to iOs.
20% from 20% means 4 people switching from iOs to Android.

I think that's backwards, because you're taking from the other's buyers.

In your hypothetical group of 100 buyers, divided 80/20 Android/iOS:

• 80 bought Android, of which 20% or 16 switched from iOS.
• 20 bought iOS, of which 20% or 4 switched from Android.

This means that for every 20 buyers of EITHER OS, 4 were switchers. So it seems to be even.

 

[melendezest]

I'll take the "locked down" vs the garbage openness of Android any day. The fact that I can natively respond to SMS, take calls, and handoff from my Mac to iPhone os genius. It works very well and without some 3rd party hack like Android.

I don't need to control my phone to the Nth degree. I want a phone that is reliable, something that my GS5 never was. I want a phone that gets updates, something Android has yet to figure out to do reliably.

I will also take better compatibility with accessories as the makers test on iPhone rather than 100 different Android options.

I've gone iOS -> Android -> iOS -> Android -> iOS. I'll never go back to Android.

Sounds good. Happy that you were able to find something that fits your needs and makes you happy.

Conversely for me, Apple ain't it.

I do need Nth degree control (it makes me happy).

My GS4 makes calls when it needs to (even on WiFi), I can work off of it if necessary (SSH client, RDP, Cisco AnyConnect, Jabber, and WEBEX), big screen, no issues so far in 2 years (aside from an occassional bounce here and there). My kids play on it, photos and video looks good. Widgets are handy.

I've had no problem with updates (I like how my phone works now). Don't need the latest/greatest (whatever that means). Different themes keep my tastes entertained.

The only accessory I need (for my phone) is a Micro USB cable, compatible with EVERYTHING. Try that with lightning. Example: I found an older blackberry charger in my office I use to keep my S4 maxed out. Convenient.

All this (big screen included), available to me 2 YEARS AGO. Why waste time waiting for Apple?

So, different strokes for different folks, is all. No harm no foul, dude (dudette?)

Maybe you had a bad GS5?

I give you that Apple wins in customer service, hands down. That in itself is enough for most people.

Enjoy!

 

[Benjamin Frost]

As Apple only provide a high-end iPhone (a mistake), I would expect Android to continue gaining market share, as all the wealthy markets have already been tapped. The big new markets are made up largely of very poor people.

So I think it's extremely hard to extrapolate data to say that more switch to Apple or Android. There are so many variables due to second-hand phones and average lifespans per user, that the most reliable method of user-bases remains web browsing.

 

[AppleScruff1]

This doesn't jive with Tim Cook's comments about record number of Android users switching to iOS which other reports corroborated.

In fact, there's a pretty good analysis of that here: http://www.asymco.com/2015/08/10/the-new-switchers/

Tim tells the people what they want to hear, even if it's not quite true.

 

[Karma*Police]

Apple is too locked down for me on all fronts (design, compatibility, etc).

Windows is not there yet, but interesting things are happening.

Android is the more pragmatic and flexible platform of the three, at least currently.

Flexible, yes. More pragmatic? I don't think so. There's a reason why android is becoming more like iOS as a platform than the other way around, from Google many regards and not the other way around, from Google curating apps to

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/08/waiting-for-androids-inevitable-security-armageddon/

Tim tells the people what they want to hear, even if it's not quite true.

All CEOs pump up their business but there's no reason to doubt his switchers claim especially since other reports and Apple's financials back him up.

 

[Benjamin Frost]

There is so much wrong here I don't know where to start..

At the very beginning?

 

[cdm283813]

I read the PDF and it fails to separate the under $500 phones and the over $500 phones. I want to see a real comparison, not one that include phones that barely work and cost $10.

Don't knock budget phones because most people don't need a $500 phone. Most people don't even need a $200 phone. Heck, Bestbuy was having some crazy deals on prepaid models a few months ago. I bought a Nokia 635 for $20 and received a $25 gift card; I made money on the deal. I just wanted to try Windows phone 10 when it's released. That phone makes a decent budget smartphone for beginners.

 

[Edgar Spayce]

In order to resume this hard-to-read chart:

Between Q3-2013 and Q2-2015
82% of Android users, 20% of iOS users and 45% of WindowM users have switched or remained with Android
16% of Android users, 78% of iOS users and 35% of WindowsM users have switched/remained with iOS
2% of Android users, 1% of iOS users and 19% of WindowsM users have switched/remained with Windows Mobile

Android being the real winner, 20% of iOS users switched to Android while 16% of Android users to iOS (even though is means iOS gained as much or more users from Android than the other way around).

It's interesting, I hope we'll get the same chart in 2015 Q4 to know how the iPhone 6S did overall.

 

[RedWing512]

At first I bought Android because it was cheaper, but then I bought an iPhone.

Haven't looked back.

Android is too closed, you need to send all your data to Google to have "the good things" like Google Now, which is useless anyway...

Except when it's too open, when you're on your own to find an App that works, to do what iOS does for itself. Like sending texts and making calls through the computer.

This is the absolute silliest thing I have ever heard. I am a Mac user, and an iOS user-gone-Android. Android is most certainly not "closed". In fact, in my 2 or so years using it, it's worked better for me than iOS ever did. Don't like the stock messaging app? Just download a different one. Want to use Cortana instead of Google Now? Sure thing. If you don't like something on iOS or it's not working right, well, you're just up a creek.

Also, it's true that I give up my data to use Google's cloud services, but I don't mind Google having my data if it means have cloud services THAT ACTUALLY WORK. Every time I have used iCloud for something it's been one headache after another—in fact, it even ate some of my Pages documents once!

Also, my Android phone works just fine with my Mac. I can plug it in to my USB port and transfer music and files easier than I can with iTunes. I can respond to text messages and get notifications on my Mac with Pushbullet.

TL;DR—Android works just as well as iOS, and anybody who says otherwise is a blind fanboy, or hasn't used Android lately.

 

[69Mustang]

Are you for real?

I, like many others here, simply want to contribute reasoned, relevant, relatively-unbiased, and useful information to a conversation comparing Android and Apple statistics.

Given that I am both a long-term Apple device user and a relatively-new Android device user, and I've learned a lot on these forums, I felt the need to put in my 2 cents.

Feel free to diregard or dismiss them at your convenience, though.

There's confusion by some that this is a fan site, not an Apple focused forum. Reason, relevancy, and useful information is secondary to praising all things Apple, again, for some. Like you, I buy what works for me. I've never wanted to go all in with a single vendor so I don't get the appeal. For those that do, more power to 'em. My Apple works with my Google works with my Microsoft. Here lately, they work even better with all three vendors cooperating more.

 

[Waughy]

It looks like Windows is almost irrelevant in mobile.

Collect the same data over the next 2 years once Windows 10 comes to mobile and see how things look. Not saying there will be a big swing or anything, but it could be interesting.
I've sidelined my iPhone 6 Plus to have a play with Windows on a Lumia 640XL, and for a cheap phone (compared to my iPhone) it packs some punch and is very nice to use. The next flagship (950XL/Cityman/whatever it's called) and Windows app market will be the deciding factors for me when it's time to upgrade at the end of the year. If I'm not happy with the offerings, or 10 is a fizzer, then I'll either take the free upgrade on a 6S Plus, or hang onto what I have and wait for the 7 next year.
I'd like to think Windows will do well enough to stay in the game, but time will tell, say the next 6 months or so.

 

[BvizioN]

What really happens when you send all your data to Google? Do they call you at home in the evening? Do they solicite you? Do they send you emails? Just what does Google do with your data that bothers you? Please let me know.

It does sale it to third party companies. Who then would try to sell you things. Of course Google it'self does not send you advertising emails.

 

[Shirasaki]

My long-time Android friends--always fighting their phones, rebooting, unable to reach 5pm without a dead battery, unable to use my favorite apps at all, burning money on a new one every year when the software updates stop coming or the plastic shell cracks--all LOVE them. They assume iPhone has those same problems AND worse, and would never think of switching to evil Apple. They are using no Android-specific benefits (hacking the OS etc.) but they swallow Samsung's ads and blog troll-bait like it's gospel. So they spend way more than I do, and get far less, and think I'm crazy.

It reminds me of the days when Windows users would not consider a Mac specifically BECAUSE Windows was so awful: it made them afraid to switch because they believed the problems were the same on "all computers," and Windows was baffling enough. Why switch to a Mac, unfamiliar and therefore impossible to figure out, AND keep the same malware and crashes as Windows? (In their minds.)

However, unlike Windows and Mac OS X, which has significant application counts difference and sometimes, quality difference, android and iOS is more close on app. I mean, both quality and quantity.

 

[Krizoitz]

II think that your statement is reversed: that many Apple users think that Android is wrought with problems and are afraid to give it a whirl.

I know I was, and I'm not afraid to admit it. I was wrong. Android is just as capable, and in many ways, more so than iOS. So you don't need to stay with Apple out of fear, you should stay because it "tastes" good.

1. Inability to upgrade (unless you root your phone)
2. Unpatched security vulnerabilities (see point 1)
3. Malware, Spyware, etc. in their official app store
4. Google's poor stance on privacy
5. Inconsistent (though somewhat improving) UI behavior (don't get me started on the damn back button)
   
6. Different UI skins and Apps based on carrier/manufacturer

Thats just off the top of my head, and yes implies that Android has PLENTY of problems. If those problems don't concern you or you feel the tradeoffs are worth dealing with them, thats fine. iOS has limitations of its own that may make using it not something you prefer, but lets not pretend that Android does not have some significant downsides, especially in light of some of the recent security issues.