The percentage of iPhone buyers in the U.S. whose last device was an Android was at 13% in 2023. The figure of Android users who previously used iPhone is much lower.
Apple already leads the smartphone race in the United States, and the poll data shows that’s not going to change.
More Android users switch to iPhone
While Android makes up about 70% of the world smartphone market, iPhone holds the largest share of the U.S. market, and has done so continuously since 2013. Plus, more Android users see the appeal of iPhone than the other way around.
A poll by analysts at CIRP shows that, for all of 2023, 13% of U.S. iPhone buyers had an Android as their previous device. The figure has stayed fairly consistent. “In the past five years, the percentage of iPhone buyers who switched from Android to iPhone has ranged from 11-15%,” reported CIRP.
The news isn’t so good for Android-maker Google and Samsung, the top producer of Android handsets. In 2023, CIRP reported that just 4% of Android buyers in the U.S. had previously owned an iPhone.
Breaking out of walled gardens
There’s criticism of both Apple and Google for building so-called walled gardens – operating systems crafted in such way that it’s difficult for users to shift between them.
But the CIRP data shows that plenty of iPhone and Android users still make the switch. And given that iPhone is already the more popular option in the United States, the poll data indicates that significantly more Android users are doing so.
Critics often make the assumption that users feel trapped in those walled gardens. A survey shows that’s not true. Customer satisfaction for Apple and Samsung is around 80%, with Apple slightly ahead. For comparison, the same survey finds the people also have about an 80% approval rating for their car, their beer, their soft drink, etc.
But U.S. consumers are less satisfied with other phone makers. Perhaps it’s these that are contributing the most to the switch from Android to iPhone.
