Apple users are more loyal to their iPhones, Android users are switching sides

iPhone loyalty has increased significantly over the past five years, a new report suggests. Meanwhile, Android users are reportedly more inclined to switch to the iPhone. Here's the full analysis.

In Short

• iPhone loyalty reportedly increased drastically
• Its loyalty is 96.4 per cent, up from 90.5 per cent in 2019
• Samsung’s loyalty has also risen massively compared to the previous report

Apple, the computer maker, first launched the iPhone in June 2007. Today, in 2026, a fresh report suggests the brand royalty for iPhone has increased massively in the last five years. A recent smartphone loyalty survey has found that Android users are 3.7 times more likely to switch to an iPhone than iPhone users are to move in the opposite direction.

According to SellCell, which conducted a survey of 5,000 smartphone users in the US. When they are asked, iPhone users, “When you next upgrade your phone, what will you most likely do?” 96.4 per cent of iPhone users said they would purchase another iPhone, with only 3.6 per cent considering a switch to Android. This marks a rise in iPhone loyalty from 91.9 per cent in 2021 to 96.4 per cent in 2026, and up from 90.5 per cent in 2019.

In comparison, Android loyalty stands at 86.4 per cent, with users nearly four times more likely to switch platforms than iPhone users (13.6 per cent vs 3.6 per cent).

When asked about the reasons behind their loyalty, a majority of iPhone users, which is around 60.8 per cent, said they prefer iOS, while 17.4 per cent cited their investment in the Apple ecosystem. It is worth noting that minority users (3.6 per cent) who preferred to switch to Android, among them, one of the common reasons is the high price of the iPhone.

Why iPhone users are so loyal

Apple is a premium, reliable and for some markets, it is a status-driven brand. And when an individual purchases an iPhone, it provides the user with an entire ecosystem, from built-in features like iMessage, FaceTime and iCloud, to Apple devices like AirPods or Apple Watch, and everything works seamlessly.

So, once a user gets habituated with the ecosystem, it likely becomes inconvenient to switch.

Privacy is one of the major reasons for many users to continue using the iPhone, as Apple strongly markets privacy as a core feature.

However, the report also points out that along with the iPhone, Samsung loyalty has also risen to 90.1 per cent, up from 74 per cent in 2021.

- Ends