A new study conducted by Market Strategies International reveals that 33% of all Samsung owners show purchase interest in the anticipated “iPhone 7,” which is expected to be announced at Apple’s “See you on the 7th” media event today.
Also, nearly half (45%) of Galaxy Note owners expressed interest in the new iPhone, more than any other Samsung device user. With so many Samsung users considering iPhone 7, Apple is well-positioned to acquire customers amid challenges with the recently launched Galaxy Note 7, according to Market Strategies.
“Our conversations with customers reveal a strong likelihood that Samsung Note users are ripe for defecting to Apple,” says Greg Mishkin, vice president, research & consulting, Market Strategies. “Samsung’s recent issues are a huge boon to Apple, just as many were writing off the iPhone 7 release as insignificant.”
The research group’s key findings include:
- Eighty percent of current iPhone users and 60% of current Samsung users want a longer-lasting battery more than any other feature.
- Although 74% of current iPhone users and 56% of Samsung users are interested in a waterproof iPhone 7, only 16% of iPhone users and 8%of Samsung users would like to see the headphone jack removed, a change that Apple had been considering for the next iPhone release.
- Sixty-four percent of Apple users and 46 percent of Samsung users hope for wireless charging on the next iPhone.
- Fifty-eight percent of iPhone owners and 44% of Samsung owners noted more memory as a feature of interest.
- While 61% of iPhone users who currently have a large screen (i.e., iPhone 6/6S Plus) report wanting an even larger screen, only 30% of people with older iPhones (i.e., iPhone 5S and earlier) want larger screens.
The study, which asked more than 1,100 consumers about their current phones and preferences among the most frequently rumored iPhone 7 features, revealed not only which features were most desirable, but also critical differences between customer segments based on carrier.
Although iPhone distribution falls in line with the general market share of cellular providers, with Verizon and AT&T owning 33% and 34% of the market, respectively, just 17% of Verizon’s loyal iPhone users show interest in the iPhone 7, according to Market Strategies International. Alternatively, as one of the last to add the iPhone to its device list, MetroPCS customers have long pent up demand for the new iPhone with nearly 40% of customers having interest in the latest device from Apple. Overall, Apple has built a loyal following with 60% of current iPhone users interested in the new iPhone 7.
“The difference in iPhone 7 needs and wants varies greatly based on customers’ current make and model, wireless carrier and brand loyalty. Understanding who these customers are and what differentiates their interests in upgrading to the iPhone 7 is of paramount importance to retailers, carriers and brand marketers in the days and months ahead,” says Mishkin.
