Over your iPhone? So are a lot of people lately — at least according to a survey released this week by a mobile device trade-in site which claims that Apple iPhone owner loyalty is the lowest it’s been since 2011.
Since October 2018, iPhone trade-in site BankMyCell has amassed data on the new device more than 38,000 people have during the valuation and trade-in of their old iPhone. The site measures loyalty by retention trends: in other words, a consumer is loyal if they are trading in a phone for another phone produced by the same manufacturer.
BankMyCell’s report shows iPhone retention has dropped 15.2% since March 2018. Only 66.4% of iOS users trading in stayed with Apple during Q4 of 2018, following the release of the iPhone XR/XS range of devices.
In June 2019, 18% of people using BankMyCell trading in iPhones had a Samsung device, the highest rate recorded in their study. Meanwhile, only 7.7% of Galaxy S9 owners traded in their phones for an iPhone.
These figures point to the overall trend of Apple vs. Samsung customer loyalty. According to BankMyCell’s data, iPhone loyalty is at its lowest since 2011, sitting at 73%. The highest loyalty rate BankMyCell ever measured was in 2017, when Apple retained 92% of iPhone owners (that completed the survey, anyway).
BankMyCell collects its data from its customers, so the numbers don’t represent overall sales, which also include carrier stores and Apple itself. And the report shouldn’t make you question whether you should jump ship. iPhones are still a top smartphone option, they’re just competing with an ever-growing smartphone market for your allegiance.
This report comes right as a video showing the iPhone 11 prototypes appeared online. It doesn’t seem to deliver some of the upgrades we’re looking for (no notch, USB-C charging, 5G integration, and so forth) but the 2020 iPhone will get a complete redesign, according to industry observer Ming-Chi Kuo. That might tempt some people to wait until next year to upgrade their iPhone — or to turn to Samsung’s Note 10 if that phone impresses when it debuts next month.
This article originally ran on tomsguide.com
See also: Best Buy, Apple Partner For Expanded Repair Service
