Between July 2012 and June 2013, 20% of Apple's customers came from the Android operating system and 7% of Samsung's new customers during the time period switched from an iOS device, according to a new report from CIRP.

The majority of iPhone purchases came from customers who previously owned an iPhone, with 42% of customers already in Apple's ecosystem. The same holds true for Samsung, with 43% of former Android customers choosing to stick with the Android platform.

previousos
Both companies attracted former basic phone users, though Samsung attracted a good deal more at 37% vs. Apple's 26%. New phone buyers were more likely to choose a Samsung phone.

When taking into account only customers who switched brands, 33% of Apple’s new customers came from Samsung, while just 11% of Samsung's new customers came from Apple. Samsung attracted more customers from HTC, Motorola, and Nokia, while Apple garnered more BlackBerry users.

brandswitch
The study also found that customers who purchased iPhones tended to be younger than those who purchased Samsung phones. 69% of those that bought an iPhone were between the ages of 18 and 34 compared to only 64% of Samsung buyers. Apple buyers had a slightly higher income, with 38% reporting an income over $75,000 compared to 29% of Samsung buyers. 48% of Apple buyers also had a college degree, compared to 32% of Samsung buyers.

CIRP's data comes from four quarterly surveys between July 2012 and June 2013, and with each survey, 500 subjects who purchased a mobile phone in the preceding 90 days were queried.

Top Rated Comments

Dulcimer Avatar
154 months ago

The study also found that customers who purchased iPhones tended to be younger than those who purchased Samsung phones.
But… Samsung's ads told me that only old people and parents use iPhones.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aussi3 Avatar
154 months ago
Because the s4 isn't as good as they thought and its all gimmicks
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tbrand7 Avatar
154 months ago
But… Samsung told me in their ads that only old people and parents use iPhone.

Samsung lies!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ValSalva Avatar
154 months ago
It's not surprising that a lot of people buying their first smart phone would choose Samsung/Android. Many purchase primarily based on price and what the workers in the carrier stores sway them towards.

Once they've owned Samsung/Android I'd guess many either give up and don't use the 'smart' features of the phone (thus the disproportionately lower web usage numbers despite market share) or switch to iPhones. I wonder what demographic is going from iPhones to Samsung/Android?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mactendo Avatar
154 months ago
Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!...
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheRealTVGuy Avatar
154 months ago
So the smart money is on Apple! Nice...

And NO, they don't need to produce a giant screen size just to appease/appeal to a certain segment.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

WWDC25 Live Coverage Feature 1

WWDC 2025 Apple Event Live Keynote Coverage: iOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and More

Monday June 9, 2025 9:00 am PDT by
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) starts today with the traditional keynote kicking things off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. MacRumors is on hand for the event and we'll be sharing details and our thoughts throughout the day. We're expecting to see a number of software-related announcements led by a design revamp across Apple's platforms that will also see the numbering of all of...
General Apps Messages Redux

iOS 26: New Messages and Phone App Features Leaked Ahead of WWDC

Friday June 6, 2025 7:27 am PDT by
Apple is planning to announce several new features for the Messages and Phone apps on iOS 26, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a lengthy report outlining his WWDC 2025 expectations today, Gurman said that the two main changes in the Messages app will be the ability to create polls, as well as the option to set a background image within a conversation. 9to5Mac was first to report...
liquid glass

Apple Announces All-New 'Liquid Glass' Software Redesign

Monday June 9, 2025 10:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced a complete redesign of all of its major software platforms called "Liquid Glass." Announced simultaneously for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS, and CarPlay, Liquid Glass forms a new universal design language for the first time. At its WWDC 2025 keynote address, Apple's software chief Craig Federighi said "Apple Silicon has become dramatically more powerful...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' Launching Later This Year With These 17 New Features

Friday June 6, 2025 6:17 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including worse battery life, only a single ...
macOS Tahoe Render

macOS Tahoe Might Support One Fewer Mac Than Previously Rumored

Saturday June 7, 2025 5:27 am PDT by
macOS 26 will drop support for several older Intel-based Mac models currently compatible with macOS Sequoia, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of leaking information about Apple's software platforms. macOS 26 will be compatible with the following Mac models, the account said:MacBook Air (M1 and later) MacBook Pro (2019 and later) iMac (2020 and later) Mac...
AirTag Backpack

New AirTag With Three Upgrades is 'Nearly Ready' to Launch

Sunday June 8, 2025 11:44 am PDT by
Apple's long-rumored AirTag 2 might be coming soon. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman briefly mentioned that a new AirTag is "nearly ready" to launch. Last year, he said that it would be released around the middle of 2025, and the midpoint of the year is just a few weeks away. "The new AirTag is nearly ready, having been prepared for launch over the past several...