Android users contribute 20% of iPhone sales every quarter due to phone switching

According to a research report from a leading company, although many Android phone users have switched to iPhone, usually accounting for 15% to 20% of total iPhone purchases each quarter, these users will not necessarily buy the model that Apple most wants them to buy. Instead, older iPhone models are more popular among Android users.

Recently, CIRP, an organization focusing on consumer research, released a new research report. According to the report, there are a lot of iPhone users who switch from Android to iPhone every quarter, accounting for 15% to 20% of iPhone sales in that quarter. However, the overall proportion of users who choose old iPhone models is relatively large. iPhone X is not the best choice for this type of users, and this type of users tend to choose large-screen iPhone models.

Among the 15% to 20% of users who switched to iPhone, the popularity of each iPhone model is as follows: 40% of users chose iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, about 25% chose iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, about 12% chose iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, and the iPhone SE accounted for the largest proportion but still about 11%. Obviously, nearly half of the users prefer to choose the old models.

CIRP said that Android users generally prefer to buy cheaper older iPhone models, including iPhone SE, iPhone 6s and iPhone 7. This may be because they have become accustomed to cheaper Android phones and will not go straight to the newer models like iPhone users. But it may also be because they are still new to iPhones, so they are more satisfied with entering the Apple ecosystem through older models. At this time, new iPhone models equipped with high-end hardware will inevitably lack appeal to such users.

Meanwhile, Android switchers tend to choose larger iPhones, probably because there are so many Android phones with screens of at least 5 inches, or more like 6 inches, while the iPhone 7 and 8 only offer 4.7-inch displays, and the largest Plus model is only 5.5 inches. Although the iPhone X has a larger 5.8-inch screen, it starts at $999, which is much more expensive than most Android phones.

CIRP pointed out that the current survey was conducted for a year ending in March this year, and the data was mainly obtained from a follow-up survey of 2,000 American consumers who purchased iPhones.

In short, if the rumors are true, Apple may convince more Android users to switch to iPhone this fall, because this year Apple is expected to launch three new iPhone models, including 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch OLED models, and a lower-priced 6.1-inch LCD model. If nothing unexpected happens, the LCD model will become the first choice for more Android users to switch to iPhone.

Apple seems to be well aware of these trends, so according to supply chain information, Apple will focus on LCD iPhones this year because it purchases far more LD panels than OLED.