According to CIRP, iOS activations in the United States are now an even split against Android devices when taking into account total smartphone activations. Marketshare is estimated to be at an even 50/50 split.
Apple’s share of smartphone activations has been steadily climbing in recent years and peaked in 2020. In 2021 Apple has maintained that position which is significant as Android has historically had an edge on marketshare. This has been in part due to the lower cost alternatives and wider variety of subsidised plans offered by Android OEM’s.
Apple enjoys very high brand loyalty. While Android enjoys operating system loyalty, individual brand loyalty tends to be lower.
“In the most recent quarter, Apple had an edge in loyalty, with 93 percent of prior iPhone owners upgrading to a new iPhone, compared to 88 percent of Android owners staying with Android. Over several years, iOS gained about five percentage points in loyalty, while Android remained flat. This allowed Apple to steadily increase the iOS share of new smartphone activations.”
CIRP: Mike Levin
This will be great news to the folks at Cupertino. It would seem the combined strategy of a more affordable option with the iPhone SE followed up with the all new design of the iPhone 12 has helped Apple to gain in overall marketshare.
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