The iPhone is the equivalent of fly-paper when it comes to keeping customers. The Apple smartphone has at least an 89 percent allegiance, twice that of the closest Android handset, according to a Wall Street survey announced Friday.
In the wireless world, handset retention is an important factor. The UBS survey found 89 percent of iPhone owners stick with the same brand, compared to 39 percent for HTC. However, the situation is even worse for other non-Apple smartphone makers, such as Research in Motion and Nokia.
The BlackBerry maker’s problems with falling consumer demand were mirrored in its retention rate. Just 33 percent of RIM owners stayed with the Waterloo, Ontario company over the past 18 months, down from 62 percent. Nokia, which has also had its marketshare cut by Apple, had even worse time keeping users, according to UBS.
Perhaps most importantly, the Wall Street analyst firm said its survey found “only 6 percent [of iPhone subscribers] indicated that they intended to move to a different OEM, with 4 percent saying they were undecided.” This means Apple’s retention rate is growing – not slowing or flat – and that the future retention for Apple “could be as high as 93 percent.”
This appears to leave just 7 percent of wiggle room for all non-Apple smartphones – not the best environment for growth.
