Without doubt Android is the leading smartphone platform at the moment, followed by the iPhone. This is thanks to Android devices being manufactured by multiple vendors, and also because of how some users find Android more “open” to customization and tweaks, versus the iPhone which is pretty much what you see is what you get, unless you were to jailbreak it. Android phones also range from being affordable to expensive, so for the first time smartphone owner, a cheaper phone would be a good way to see if they enjoy the platform. However according to a recent study by Foolproof, it has been found that the Android platform had a “weak gravity”, suggesting that Android users who start with Android eventually find themselves drifting towards iOS.
According to the numbers, it was found that 65% of first time smartphone owners choose Android. However as time goes on, their preference for Android begins to decline and by the time they are on their third phone, the ratio of Android to iPhone is 49% to 37%. From there on, these iPhone converts are expected to remain with the iPhone. The researchers are calling this effect the “Android engagement paradox”. According to Philip Morton, Foolproof’s principal consultant, “We started out looking into what’s called the ‘Android engagement paradox’ – the fact that although Android phones are more widely used, they don’t show up as much in web usage statistics.” Make what you will of these findings, but what do you guys think?
We’ve seen our fair share of iPhone converts and Android converts, so safe to say there are a variety of reasons why we switch platforms, but what are your reasons for switching from iPhone/Android to another platform? Is it the apps? The platform? Price of hardware? Let us know in the comments below!
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