The battle between iOS and Android inspires bewilderingly fierce loyalty, but who has the most stalwart fanbase?
Apparently, it’s Android, with the Google operating system taking the lead for loyalty, according to new data.
Research shows that between July 2013 and June 2015, 82% of Android owners stayed true to the OS when buying a new phone.
Apple was close behind Android, with a slightly lower 78% loyalty rate.
The data comes courtesy of a new study by market research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), released on Tuesday and first spotted by cnet.
CIRP surveyed 4,000 individuals across the US to examine smartphone buying trends.
SEE ALSO: How to switch from Android to iPhone
Not surprisingly, the study found that while Android and iOS both had a large number of steadfast fans, the same isn’t true for rival systems.
For instance, Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform managed to retain only 19% of its users.
Worse still, BlackBerry clung onto a paltry 4% of users over the two-year period.
As such, it seems that both iOS and Android are the most tempting options for operating systems in the modern age. No surprises there, then.
However, the study struggled to determine the reasons behind customers opting to stay with Android or iOS.
“The dynamic between Apple iOS and Google Android is not well understood,” said CIRP co-founder Josh Lowitz. “Even the basic loyalty rate, the measure of how each operating system retains its own users, is not widely known.”
Lowitz continues: “Conventional wisdom says the Apple ‘ecosystem’ promotes loyalty, while Android readily gives up users to iOS. Our analysis has a more nuanced view on OS selection, and indicates Android user loyalty has caught up and even exceeds that of iOS.”
SEE ALSO: How to switch from iPhone to Android
Both Apple and Google are due to launch major upgrades to their mobile operating systems in the coming months.
Apple is currently running a public beta test of its upcoming iOS 9 software.
Google, meanwhile, announced its Android M upgrade back at the annual I/O developer conference, due for launch in autumn.
Microsoft is also getting in on the action, readying up its own major software overhaul with the imminent launch of Windows 10 Mobile.
Are you a bleating iSheep or part of the Fandroid robo-horde? Tell us why in the comments below.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
