ZT: Cowen survey: Android-to-iPhone defections growing

Cowen survey: Android-to-iPhone defections growing

• A Cowen survey of 3K smartphone owners - 1K apiece in the U.S. and China, and 500 apiece in the U.K. and Japan - found nearly 20% of the 1,500 respondents who owned an iPhone 6/6+ (NASDAQ:AAPL) stating "their new device replaced a competitor’s smartphone, of which ~83% were Android." Another 5% said the 6/6+ was their first smartphone.
• Android defections were particularly strong in China, where 30% of 6/6+ owners said they replaced an Android phone - Apple's Greater China sales were up 70% Y/Y in calendar Q4. The figure was 14% in Japan, 9% in the U.K., and 8% in the U.S.
• Also: 42% of the 1,500 respondents who plan to buy an iPhone 6/6+ in the next 12 months own a non-Apple smartphone, with 85% owning an Android device. Meanwhile, nearly 50% of those who have bought one upgraded early.
• Regarding Apple Watch, the survey found 55% of respondents indicating "a positive purchase intention," and 28% indicating neutral purchase intent. With 3/4 of respondents expecting battery life to be above 1 day (as compared with the official 18 hours under normal use), Cowen sees battery life as a near-term limitation. The firm has alsoreported initially supplies could be low.
• IDC assigned the iPhone a 19.7% Q4 unit share to Android's 76.6%; revenue share is likely above 40%. More than a few observers have argued the arrival of 4.7" and 5.5" iPhones could win over some Android users who prefer larger-screened devices.