Consumer Intelligence Research Partners has published survey data suggesting more Android users are adopting the latest iPhone, the iPhone 5S, than were a year ago with the iPhone 5.
According to the report, which surveyed 400 iPhone buyers shortly after the iPhone 5S launch, around 21% said their last phone was an Android handset, up from 16% the previous year.
Interestingly, according to CIRP’s graphs, the number of BlackBerry users moving across has actually reduced, as has the rather broad category “other smartphone”, which presumably includes Windows Phone, and “basic phone”, which we take to mean feature phones.
Meanwhile the number of iPhone buyers upgrading from an older iPhone continues to expand.
The number of iPhone buyers who are “first time” phone buyers has also grown from 2012’s figures and appears roughly equal to the “other smartphone” category.
There are some important things to bear in mind though. A survey base of 400 respondents isn’t exactly conclusive, and the survey took place in the US, so it doesn’t take into account trends elsewhere. Furthermore, CIRP published similar findings last year, showing that in 2012, 38% of respondents were jumping from Android to iPhone up from 29% in 2011.
But, as commentators on Fortune’s 2012 coverage of the CIRP survey and BGR’s coverage of the 2013 one point out, in isolation, the information doesn’t tell us a great deal.
It stands to reason that there’s a certain amount of migration in both directions and without having the same information on iPhone users switching to Android we don’t have a clear picture.
The survey also doesn’t take into account the overall user-base for each ecosystem, as Disqus commentator ‘kupfernigk’ points out.
“The chart lacks a very important metric; the percentage installed base of the OS switched FROM.
As an example, if Android had 40% installed base in 2012, and 60% in 2013, and the chance of switching was unchanged, you would expect 50% more people to switch in 2013 compared to 2012.
"If the Apple installed base was only growing slowly, this would look like a big switch to iOS.
Without knowing those numbers, the graph doesn't tell you anything.”
User 'symbolset' also makes a good point with regard to Android’s growing overall market share naturally providing a larger number of users switching across at any one time.
“Since there are so many more Android owners now than before you would expect to see a larger representation among iPhone adopters. Also, Nokia and Blackberry have completed their customer shedding operations and have so have fewer people left to contribute to the total.
"The reduction of first phone/basic phone should be alarming though for Apple.”
by pbriden via Featured Articles
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