Old Customers, New iPhones
When we first started surveying Apple customers about their recent purchases, we wanted to learn more than which iPhone model they bought and the store where they bought it. We asked questions about their other electronics and developed much more detailed pictures of them.
Some of the most interesting data we gathered was what kind of mobile phone did the new phone buyer retire. As smartphone buyers grew out of the basic phone user base, and the iOS vs. Android battle took shape, we knew where these new smartphone customers were coming from. And as Apple and Google split the market into two camps, we saw how their users stayed loyal or switched between the two major operating systems.
Apple has long touted how iPhone buyers upgrade from Android smartphones. Of course, as the installed base of iPhone owners in the US has grown, most buyers of new iPhones already owned an iPhone.
The data also shows the model-to-model upgrade path for existing iPhone owners. It reflects the age of retired phones analyzed in last week’s report, the installed base of particular models, which varies based on the success of their launch, the relative improvements in the newly launched phones, and trade-in promotions that vary by carrier and season.