Urban legend and meme combined: Android vs. iOS is a genuine debate in which each of us has taken part at least once.
And what significance does the outcome of that conflict have if your daily car is the only thing that really matters?
That actually has a significant influence. It is discussions like this that advance our industry in a civilized manner. It’s also a lot of fun. Can I take a moment to ask, in the spirit of these two things:
Why do iPhone users change their phones so often given they already have a strong software support lifetime, in contrast to the majority of Android phones?
As this was one of the most intriguing findings we had, I truly hope that our “How America Buys and Uses Smartphones: PhoneArena Survey” can help me with my reasoning and we can sort this one out.
But! Please be advised that, before continuing:
- As this is paid research, we are completely unbiased.
- A US vox populi survey of 2,000 persons was conducted.
- While perfect accuracy is unachievable, all statistics are current and pertinent.
- Some folks own multiple phone models.
Here it is then:
- On average, Apple enthusiasts switch up their phones every 21 months.
- Fans of Android stick with it for an average of 30 months.
Apple offers years of software support
Huh. So, since I like to retain my phone for as long as possible, I’m the odd one out? Let’s investigate further.
The fight for a longer software support cycle has been going on for a while. Although they frequently provide four or even five years of software.
Security upgrades, Google and Samsung don’t actually lead the pace. That’s because Android.
In the case of the iPhone, Apple has generally been doing a better job, with iOS 16 being available on devices as ancient and gold as the iPhone 8, while iOS 17 is anticipated to launch on every iPhone XR and XS, as well as other devices.
To put things in perspective, the Galaxy S9.
Released the same year as the iPhone XR. While the XR and XS are still compatible with iOS 16, the S9 ceased receiving updates in March 2022.
Yet we shouldn’t ignore the existence of phone plans. In order to upgrade to the newest flagship, carriers frequently offer tempting discounts that involve surrendering an older phone and possibly paying a portion of the price up front.
Even though that’s pretty cool, it makes me wonder if the fight for sustainability.
Apple offers years of software support
since using an older phone practically means you’re helping the environment at this point, still makes any sense if there are so many incentives designed to stop you from doing so.
We truly don’t have an answer for it, though. The issue “What’s the main cause that gets Americans to change phones?” is one that we do want to contribute to the resolution of.
Remember that the whole “How America Buys and Uses Smartphones” study results will be made accessible on Phone Arena at the end of August as you wait for that to drop!
