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YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Survey: iPhone owners most loyal to brand among mobile users

    By Trevor Mogg | Digital Trends – Fri, Nov 25, 2011

    When it comes to brand loyalty in the smartphone market, Apple appears to be ahead of the pack. According to the results of a survey by research firm GfK, 84 percent of iPhone owners said they would choose another iPhone when they next replace their smartphone.

    Among users of phones powered by Google’s Android operating system, 60 percent said they would stay with a phone using the same software.

    Brand loyalty was weaker among BlackBerry users, with only 48 percent saying they would likely stick with one of Research In Motion’s devices. Last month the Canadian company had a torrid time of it, together with users of its smartphones, when its communication network suffered a three-day outage.

    With 63 percent of consumers saying they will keep with the kind of phone that they currently own, it’s clearly getting more and more difficult for rival brands to elbow their way in. Of course, there are still opportunities – if a company came out with a real head-turner of a product, it would undoubtedly shake up the market and put a consumer’s loyalty to the test.

    Also, GfK analyst Ryan Garner suggests “the richest rewards will go to those providers that can create the most harmonious user experience.”

    For many people, Apple’s success can be attributed to clever marketing that encouraged consumers to make an emotional connection with its products. On top of that, the company got in early with the iPhone. It may not have been the first smartphone on the market, but for many consumers it was the first one that was actually smart. They lapped it up, and continue to do so, with more than four million units of the Cupertino company’s latest version of the device, the iPhone 4S, selling on its opening weekend last month.

    But companies know they can’t rest on their laurels when it comes to loyalty. Slip behind the field in coming up with innovative ideas and groundbreaking products, or mess up badly with your service, and consumers will start looking elsewhere.

    For its survey, GfK questioned approximately 4,500 people in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Brazil, China, the United States and Japan.

    [Source: Reuters] [Image: Reno Martin / Shutterstock]

    This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

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    Top Locations Phoenix Philadelphia

    8 comments

    • A
      A  •  6 mths ago
      Who's surprised?
      • Dr No
        Dr No 6 mths ago
        As a longtime Apple user, not me.
    • Scott
      Scott  •  6 mths ago
      Love my iPhone 4. Can't wait to get the 4S.
    • Jay
      Jay  •  Philadelphia, United States  •  6 mths ago
      Maybe I'm bucking the trend. Had iPhones since there was such a thing, but I'm done. Apple's walled garden just isn't big enough anymore and admission is too expensive. Their respect for privacy and sustainability leaves something to be desired, too. Hello Android.
    • Luis
      Luis  •  Phoenix, United States  •  6 mths ago
      My ipod sucks no flash to watch nfl network . I updated no jail break yet. Excellent mp3 player better than my android but has nothing on zune's . the truth
      • Dr No
        Dr No 6 mths ago
        LOL only idiots and losers own Zunes. The truth.
      • CP
        CP 6 mths ago
        really?????? zune REALLY????????
    • Ugly Truth
      Ugly Truth  •  6 mths ago
      I heard that Apple has scrapped their plans for the new children's iPod after realizing that "iTouch Kids" is not a good product name.
    • C.J.
      C.J.  •  6 mths ago
      Currently, I have the HTC Touch Pro 2 with T-Mobile and I'm awaiting the arrival of my iPhone 4S with AT&T. I said I would never go back to AT&T after they took over Cingular years ago but with the piece of crap phone this Touch Pro 2 is wit that #$%$ Windows Mobile software, I'm converting over. I paid $350 for this phone almost 2yrs ago and have yet to go a complete month without any "I'm about to throw you against a brick wall" problems. I've had to hard reset (completely start over as if I had just bought the phone) at least 15 times since I've had it. So, I say, "No, I will not continue to support Windows Mobile phones."
    • A Yahoo! User  •  6 mths ago
      iBrainwashed.
    • Luis
      Luis  •  Phoenix, United States  •  6 mths ago
      Baahhh !
     Post a comment
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