The iPhone / Android war is an interesting one: In one corner you have Apple fans who believe Steve Jobs can do no wrong. In the other corner you have Android fans who think the iPhone is the devil. But does every Android owner really love their smartphone? According to a study of 515 people conducted by USB Research, Apple keeps 89 percent of their iPhone owners happy, but only 55 percent of Android users are return customers. HTC has a retention rate of about 39 percent. Samsung has a retention rate of 28 percent.
The sample size for this study may be small, but I have to believe a lot of people own an Android device because of the low cost options. It has to be pretty tempting to a casual shopper when their choices are: Do you want the oldest version of the iPhone for $50, or the newest Android handset for $80? The new Android phone comes with a dual-core processor, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and front-facing VGA camera…
This might sound idiotic to an Apple fan, but to a regular person who just wants to be able to text their friends, it probably sounds like a great deal. However, it doesn’t mean the same person doesn’t dream of being the first person on their block to own an iPhone 5. It just might not be an option for them.
This is why the revamped low-end iPhone 4 rumors are so believable. It’s the perfect way for Apple to nab new customers. Instead of offering people the iPhone model that’s on its way out at a discount, new Apple fans can get the latest iPhone for an affordable price. Yeah it’s not the iPhone 5, but you won’t be out of style by owning the new and improved iPhone 4.
I know there are dedicated Android fans out there… Trust me I have faced their wrath many times, but it still seems like more people are Android owners by default, and there are more iPhone owners by choice. I just don’t know many people who are stuck with an iPhone because they couldn’t afford Verizon’s Pantech Breakout.
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