A new survey about online security by Beyond Identity, which offers authentication without the use of passwords, says that consumers feel most secure using Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro Max and Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra.
According to the users of each type of smartphone, the iPhone 13 Pro Max felt “remarkably safer” than the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. In fact, iPhone 13 users were more than twice as likely to say that theirs was the most secure smartphone they had ever used.
Smartphones weren’t the only pieces of tech where Apple users reported a heightened sense of security. Beyond Identify says Apple iCloud Keychain (the company’s password storing app) users were seven percentage points more likely than Google Password Manager users to feel “extremely” secure about their password storage method.
The study says that current Android users in the U.S. are highly likely to consider switching to the iPhone, specifically because of updated security features. Nearly half (49%) of Android users in the study admitted to considering the switch due to the perceived security and privacy superiority of Apple operating systems.
While newly released operating systems often come with improved security features, Apple’s upcoming release of iOS 16 is what led 33% of Android users to consider switching to Apple. The release introduces extreme security features designed to protect users from highly targeted mercenary spyware, including “Lockdown Mode,” which strictly limits or completely shuts down apps and protocols that can put the user at risk of cyber attack.
Beyond Identity’s study revealed that Apple users more often demonstrate good safety behaviors than Android users. One example of how iPhone users are more proactive about their digital safety is that they’re more likely to choose a six-digit pin over a four-digit one to unlock their phone.
They were also more likely to monitor their location tracking and use facial recognition. While facial recognition on smartphones comes with its own security risks, it’s highly effective at preventing break-ins. On the other hand, Android users were more likely than Apple users to use fingerprint scanning, which helps them avoid some of the risks associated with facial recognition.
Beyond Identify says that neither Apple nor Android users were strangers to hacks and security breaches: 40% or more of both groups had experienced malware attacks or cyber scams. However, Apple once again had the advantage: More of their users reported never experiencing a security breach of any kind. And when breaches did happen, they were 20 percentage points more likely to fully recover the data they had lost compared to Android users.
Beyond Identify says that, however, Apple users may have felt a little too safe as they were more likely to report regularly losing their phones—often as many as six or more times in the last six months. This may have to do with what’s known as the Peltzman Effect, which theorizes that when safety measures are in place, people are more likely to take risks.
Beyond Identify surveyed 1,003 Americans regarding mobile phone security habits and sentiment. Of these, 505 respondents use Android phones, and 498 use iPhones. The mean age of respondents was 38 years old. Among them, 61% were male, and 39% were female. Respondents comprised the following generational breakdown: 19% Gen Z, 44% millennials, 24% Gen X, and 13% baby boomers.
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