According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, the average Apple smartphone has been active for 18 months and 16.5 months for Samsung. 1 in 5 Caucasians plan to keep their phones for 3 years or more while Baby Boomers increasingly are delaying their smartphone purchase for 3 years+.
Strategy Analytics consumer insights team developed and analyzed results of an online survey with 2,500 smartphone owners using a US nationally representative sampling of owners 18-64 years.
Key groups and criteria analyzed include:
• Gen Z: 18 -24 Years
• Gen Y: 25 -39 Years
• Gen X: 40 – 54 Years
• Boomers: 55 -64 Years
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Price Paid Current Smartphone
• Replacement Cycle
The report “US Smartphone Replacement and Brand Dynamics” is available to subscription clients here.
David Kerr, Senior Vice President at Strategy Analytics said in a statement, “Operators and device brands face significant inertia given consumer perception of diminishing innovation or marginal value add in successive generations of flagship devices. At the same time vendor pursuit of profitability has seen smartphone prices rising towards and above $1,000. Prices for 5G phones will be a key barrier despite 1 in 4 recognizing it as being important for their next device.”
Linda Sui, Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Wow features are important for only 1 in 3 US buyers with Hispanic and African Americans most interested as well as Gen Z. Premium customers spending $1000+ are naturally most desiring of wow features as well as new network technology but these represent only 7% of those surveyed.”
Other highlight from the research include:
• Apple and Samsung are dominant with brand loyalty above 70% with a huge separation to second tier vendors LG and Motorola with repeat purchase intentions below 50%
• Apple dominates Hispanic and Asian markets with U.S. market share above 50%
• Samsung leads in market share among Gen X, but trails Apple by almost 40 points among Gen Z in terms of purchase intent.
• Camera features, quality are significantly more important to women and Gen Z users.
• A growing demand for better tools to manage screen time is seen especially in Gen Y and Gen Z.
Source: Strategy Analytics, Inc.
MacDailyNews Take: This research backs Apple’s tremendous strength in the U.S. smartphone market and Gen Z purchase intent bodes well for iPhone’s strength to grow even more in the future, too!
My iPhone X will be 3 years old before I trade it in for the 2020 iPhone. Though I think 5G has a couple more years to get where it needs to be.
My X is still going strong since launch day. Since it has everything I needed and wanted, and battery health is still at 96%, there is no compelling reason to update it. Yes, faster face ID and a better camera are nice, but not worth the $$$. Apple’s iPhone lineup is mature and going strong.