Apple’s latest range of iPhones is enticing more Android users to switch to the company’s product line, a new study reveals.
A survey by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) found that 16% of US customers who bought an iPhone after the company’s launch of the iPhone XR on 26 October were individuals who previously used an Android smartphone but decided to switch to a new iPhone.
Although 82% of the respondents stated that they were upgrading from a previous iPhone model, the new study clearly found that the percentage of Android users who were switching to an iPhone this year had increased, as the CIRP survey in 2017 found that 11% of iPhone purchasers previously bought Android smartphones.
CIRP thought that Apple’s decision to release three new iPhone models this year might have been a factor in attracting more Android users. In the US, Apple decided to peg the starting prices of its two flagship models, the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, at $999 and $1,099 respectively. Samsung’s smartphone models, including the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9, were the iPhone’s main competitors at those price points. However, Apple’s decision to have a starting price for the iPhone XR at $749 not only made that model more affordable, but it also made it a complete alternative to Android handsets.
“It appears that iPhone XR did serve to attract current Android users,” said CIRP Partner Mike Levin. “Of course, Apple doesn’t just state plainly its launch strategy. But, based on the pricing and features, we can infer that Apple positioned the iPhone XR to appeal to potential operating systems switchers from Android.”
It appears that Apple made a smart move with its pricing of the iPhone XR. According to CIRP, the iPhone XR made up 32% of all iPhone sales during the 30 days after its release, while the combined sales for the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max accounted for 35% of all iPhone sales during the same period.