Harder To Change Your Smartphone Than Your Bank Account

According to a recent GfK study, one smartphone (Apple) user in five reckons it's harder to change their mobile than their bank account.


19% of users with an iPhone and an iPad think it's harder to change their smartphone than their bank account or gas and/or electricity supplier. Users are loyal towards a brand and an ecosystem that includes an operating system, applications and services. This is why a certain number of Apple users intend to stay loyal to the brand, which is alone in using the Apple operating system.

The GfK study also shows that the more applications and services users have, the more loyal they are to their smartphones. The survey, carried out in nine countries (France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Brazil, Japan and China), shows that the threshold is, on average, seven applications. As of seven applications or services used, those interviewed start to hold back on changing their phone. Application consumption habits vary from one country to another. In the nine countries studied, the biggest consumers of applications among smartphone users are the Americans, 61% of whom use seven applications or more, with the British bringing up the rear at 42%.

The study shows that the criteria with the biggest impact on smartphone user loyalty is ease of use. 72% of users say that it's easy to browse the menus of their smartphone and access applications. Finally, GfK highlights differences in user expectations, which differ from one country to another. For example, while most Europeans look for ease of use (84 % of Germans rate this criteria as important), the Chinese prioritise access to content (92%). GfK analyst Ryan Garner concludes that the brands that have succeeded in creating a "harmonious user experience" are potentially in a better position on the market and are more likely to hold onto customers.

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