Despite fighting a seemingly endless uphill battle, Android continues to keep up with Apple in the smartphone market. And much of that success is down to Samsung.

But there are signs that that fight may be coming to an end. In a March 2021 survey, participants’ loyalty towards Apple was at an all-time high. Even worse for Android, Samsung has declined in the market by a significant margin.

The majority of Samsung users also said they would switch to iPhone. But why is Android losing so many users to its biggest competitor? This article will explore the main reasons.

The Report

The survey was conducted by SellCell and published in March 2021. In this report, the company gathered insights from over 5,000 Apple and Android smartphone users in the US.

SellCell’s research covered the most prominent manufacturers, including Samsung and soon-to-depart LG. Motorola and Google users were also included, as were iPhone customers.

The company aimed to find out what consumer phone behaviors were in 2020. One particular focus area was the COVID-19 pandemic and how this impacted the smartphone industry.

SellCell was also interested in each of the following four areas:

  • The phone manufacturer that people switching would choose
  • How loyal each of the five biggest smartphone brands’ customers were
  • The most- and least-popular flagship smartphones
  • Why customers might be convinced to either change their smartphone or stay with their current brand

What Does the Research Say About the State of Apple and Android?

One of the biggest revelations was how Apple’s already strong brand loyalty had risen even higher. In SellCell’s 2019 survey, this metric stood at 90.5 percent. Now, however, it has increased to 91.9 percent.

collection of apple products

Samsung, on the flip side, did not have a similar story. Brand loyalty in the latest report is 74 percent, signaling an 11.7 percent decline from its 2019 level.

Reasons to Switch and Ecosystem Statistics Differ

Interestingly, more Samsung users said they had no reason to switch. 64 percent agreed with this statement, saying that they like their brand the best or have never had an issue.

Only 61 percent of survey participants with an iPhone also said the above.

Apple’s ecosystem was much more popular, though. Only 5 percent of Samsung users said that its ecosystem would keep them around, compared to 24 percent of iPhone customers.

Intentions to Switch

Of course, reasons to switch and intentions to actually do it are entirely different from one another. And across all devices, the figures make for painful reading for Android.

The vast majority (62.6 percent) of LG users said they plan on switching their phones. This is unsurprising, though, considering that the company left the market a few weeks after this report was published.

Related: LG Quits the Smartphone Market for Good

For Motorola, the desires to change were even higher. Of those that participated in the survey, 71 percent signaled their intentions to pick another smartphone brand.

Google smartphone users were less eager to leave. Still, though, 34.8 percent wanted to choose a different manufacturer. That figure was 26 percent for Samsung.

Though Samsung performed much better than the other major Android smartphone developers for this metric, it was still way below Apple. Only 9 percent of iPhone users said they planned to use another provider.

Of the Samsung users that said they would switch, 52.9 percent would consider an iPhone when they upgrade.

The Best Smartphones Were From Apple, Too

Survey participants were also asked to rank their favorite smartphone flagship models from 2020.

Apple took the top two spots, with the iPhone 12 getting 17 percent of votes and iPhone 12 Pro Max receiving a further 12.7 percent.

Samsung took two of the top five spots: the Galaxy S21 received 11.4 percent of votes and the S21+ got 9 percent. The iPhone 12 Pro came fourth with 10.6 percent, sandwiched between the two Samsung devices.

Why Are So Many Android Users Switching to iPhone?

Despite positive signs, especially with Samsung, the findings of this survey will ring alarm bells within Android. As shown in the survey, in the group of Samsung defectors, a majority (53 percent) plan to switch to an iPhone next time they upgrade.

But why are so many users eager to pick Apple instead?

Security and Privacy

This is especially true when many Android users want to change their device for security purposes. Of those who said they wished to change from Samsung to another device in the report, 31.5 percent believed that other brands could offer them better protection.

In comparison, only 3.1 percent of Apple users said they plan on switching to another brand because of security concerns.

Related: Built-in Android Settings to Increase Your Device Security

The May 2020 security bug, which put all owners with a phone later than 2014 at risk, could have played a role in this figure being so high.

User Experience

Okay, so only 3.6 percent of Samsung users in the survey said they thought a competing brand had better features. But when speaking for all Android users, user experience undoubtedly plays a role in switching to Apple.

iPhones look beautiful, function well, and offer excellent customer support if something goes wrong. And then there are small but noticeable differences, like how much better emojis look compared to on Android devices.

Apple also focuses on getting the basics right. While there are plenty of unique features, iPhones are easy to use regardless of previous tech experience.

First Access to Apps

As the number-one smartphone manufacturer, most app developers unsurprisingly launch on the App Store first. One high-profile example is Clubhouse, which gathered millions of users before beginning to develop an Android version.

clubhouse in the app store on iphone

Having an Apple product is often like feeling part of an exclusive club. And one of the perks of that club is that you get to try out certain products before they’re rolled out elsewhere.

Consumers want to be at the front of the action, so changing for this reason isn’t surprising.

Overall Product Quality

iPhones are notoriously expensive at face value. But to understand the worth of anything, you need to dig deeper.

What you get for your investment with the iPhone is superb. The users who participated in SellCell’s survey agree: 25.2% said that other brands provide better value for money than Samsung.

While Android devices are sometimes slow and get slower over time, Apple devices tend to perform well throughout their lifespan. And even if you buy an older version of the iPhone, you’ll still receive the latest iOS updates for a while.

Related: Hidden iOS Features You Won’t Want to Miss

Android Might Face an Uphill Battle to Keep Up With Apple

Apple has revolutionized the smartphone space, and it’s unsurprising that its loyalty continues to grow. And while Android has often been second-fiddle to the company, the SellCell survey’s findings will undoubtedly concern them.

Android will likely remain popular, especially in the shape of Samsung devices. But the customers switching to iPhones have valid reasons for doing so.

Apple provides outstanding value for money, despite its devices’ high prices. The company’s user experience, security, and updates are also all high-quality. And it’s up to Android to try and keep up.