iPhone users stick with model and brand, and don’t mind a little iDebt
Two surveys crossed my virtual desk today and they may shed some interesting light into iPhone 15 purchasing patterns and behavior. The first insight is that iPhone users tend to stick with the brand they’ve got – a Pro user stays Pro; the second says US consumers think Apple’s smartphones are worth going into debt for. Which is what carriers build their business on, I guess.
Better the model you know…
So, CIRP tells us that the best way to predict which model an iPhone buyer will buy is to know which iPhone they already own.
“We see very little switching among iPhone model tiers. The iPhone market is sort of like a one-way, two-lane road, with a solid line between the lanes. One-way because iPhone ownership predicts continued iPhone ownership, of course, but the solid line is a bit of a surprise. There is little switching between the iPhone tiers,” they explain.
They find that 90% of the time people stick with the tier of smartphone they own, which means iPhone SE users stick with that model and iPhone Pro Max users want to stay with that model next time they upgrade. How interesting.
A little love for a little pain
WalletHub has a survey of its own. This shows that more than one in five Americans think it’s worth going into debt to get an iPhone, but most prefer to purchase them in instalments.
Good news for Apple is that nearly two in five Americans plan to purchase a new iPhone this year, with 60% of them curious about using a budget carrier.
One more thing – consumers everywhere, including more than half of those in America, think Apple doesn’t pay enough in tax.
Buying advice
“The best way to save money on a cell phone is to purchase a phone that’s at least one generation old, instead of the latest model. The upgrade from one generation to the next is relatively small, so it’s more cost effective to wait at least two years to see more dramatic improvements to your phone,” said WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez.
“Getting a phone that’s a generation behind can cut your cost in half while still providing almost the same experience. Other good ways to save money include buying used phones in good condition or taking advantage of carrier discounts.”
Francisco Jeronimo, VP, Data and Analytics, Devices at IDC seems really optimistic concerning the new iPhones. “Apple is tackling the long tail of 600 million iPhone users out there that will be due to upgrade at some point,” he said, predicting the company will sell 150 million of the new iPhones in the first 12 months.
For me, if there is one more thing to think about concerning this, it is that Apple still has the opportunity to parlay the brand and model loyalty and acceptance of debt to offer all its products as a service. I think one day it shall.
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