A study carried out by a research group in the UK shows that smartphone users are less likely to choose a Windows Phone handset as their second or third handset — they are more likely to switch to Android or iOS. The report from Foolproof looks at how users move between smartphone brands for their first, second and third handsets.
Few people will be surprised by the finding that Windows Phone is beaten into third place when looked at in terms of which brand people gravitate towards for their first smartphone. When the survey was carried out in the UK, 12 percent of users chose a Windows Phone as their first device, compared to 19 percent for iPhone and 65 percent for Android.
Then things start to get interesting. As users move on to their second smartphone, it is the iPhone that makes gains, jumping to 29 percent. Both Android and Windows Phone drop in popularity, down to 54 percent and 7 percent respectively. Interestingly — and almost defying belief — despite accounting for just 4 percent of first time smartphones, BlackBerry handset actually increase in popularity, moving up to 10 percent.
When looking at users’ third smartphone, BlackBerry holds steady at 10 percent, and iPhones become even more popular with a jump to 37 percent of the market. But both Android and Windows Phone lose even more users — dropping to 49 percent and 4 percent.
It’s worth pointing out that the number of users sampled in the survey is pretty low, but if the figures are to be believed, Windows Phone is beaten into a worrying fourth place behind BlackBerry by the time phone owners have invested in their third handset.
Have you owned a Windows Phone in the past and moved away to an iPhone or Android handset? Or are you one of those people who have moved the other way and have gradually moved towards Windows Phone? Maybe you’re one of those people who have strong brand loyalty and will stick with the same operating system for years. Share your thoughts below.
