According last week report Gartner has said that Android has doubled its market share to 52.5 percent in Q3, while Apple recorded a decline from the year previous at 15 percent in the face of delayed iPhone 4S. While GfK a research firm claims a report that iPhone owners are much more likely to display OS loyalty by picking up another iPhone when upgrading their handset.
specially a research including 84 percent iPhone users said they would be upgrading to another iPhone but in difference just 60 % of Android users purchasing another Android device. RIM was of course behind both with 48% of users planning on sticking with a Blackberry.
“The scope for brands to lure customers from rivals has diminished and the richest rewards will go to those providers that can create the most harmonious user experience and develop this brand loyalty” –GfK
So why don’t they want to switch? The research cite including 33 % of consumers does not want to change the apps and features of their device. 29 % of responders didn’t want to learn how to use another device. While 28 % didn’t want to transition their content from one device to another.
While noting that 19% of consumers who own both an iPhone and iPad find it harder to switch Smartphone platforms than bank accounts, GfK claims their research finds users are “less likely to switch brands the more applications and services they use on the device”. Apple’s vast App Store ecosystem of over 500,000 apps and tightly integrated services are certainly contributing to their ability to create brand loyalty among consumers. As of Apple’s Q4 earnings call, the company announced 18 billion App Store downloads, 180 million iBookstore downloads, and 16 billion songs downloaded from iTunes.
The results are even more telling when it comes to users who more than one device using the same OS. For example, GfK found 72% of Smartphone users think they should be able to access all of their content seamlessly on all of their internet connected devices– tablets, Smartphones, and TVs. The number increased to 80% for users that owned a tablet as well. The report explains:
As Smartphones become more advanced, creating a smooth and high quality user experience is a complex task, but despite this, 71% of Smartphone customers believe the services and features on their devices work seamlessly with each other. The more services a consumer uses on a device, the more tightly integrated they feel the features and functions are, indicating that well executed service and hardware integration are having a positive effect on consumer loyalty.
