Apple and Samsung vs. The Rest

Despite ground-breaking features and super-slick marketing, smartphones launching at Mobile World Congress this week have a difficult task ahead if they are to break the Apple and Samsung duopoly. Analysis into brand retention across smartphone manufacturers by WDS, A Xerox Company (NYSE:XRX), shows that 76% of Apple customers replace their iPhone with another iPhone, while 34% of all consumers switching device brands choose Samsung.

WDS, a specialist in customer care solutions for the mobile industry, conducted more than 3000 interviews with smartphone owners in three flagship smartphone markets; the U.S., UK and Australia. The data forms part of the company’s annual WDS Mobile Loyalty Audit, a global study of loyalty in the mobile industry.

Apple and Samsung lead brand retention

Brand retention (customers who replace their smartphone with another from the same manufacturer) is led by Apple and Samsung. WDS found that Apple retains 76% of its customers, followed by Samsung (58%). No other smartphone manufacturer managed to keep brand retention above 40%, (see Fig.1).

“For smartphone manufacturers, brand retention is one of the most important metrics to track. It’s a very solid indication of how successful their device upgrade cycles have been in retaining customers,” explains Tim Deluca-Smith, vice president of Marketing at WDS, A Xerox Company. “Both Apple and Samsung are doing very well in keeping customers excited and loyal to their product roadmaps.”

Fig.1 Brand retention and share of migrating customers (source: WDS, A Xerox Company. 2013)

Samsung: The switcher’s selection

While Apple leads in brand retention, Samsung is the top choice for consumers switching from other brands (share of migrating customers). In fact, a third (34%) of all switching customers moves to Samsung. Apple follows, attracting almost a quarter (24%) of all migrating customers. (See Fig.1).

“This metric speaks a lot to the marketing might of Samsung. The company has been very successful in developing solid relationships with almost every mobile operator on the planet and then building devices to a variety of price-points. This exposes the Samsung portfolio to an enormous base of potential customers,” explains Deluca-Smith. “Combined with a strong brand retention rate, this positions Samsung well for 2014.”

The smartphone brand retention and migration data forms part of the WDS Mobile Loyalty Audit 2014. The full report is based on more than 4000 consumer interviews (conducted in January 2014) from the UK, U.S., South Africa and Australia.

To register your interest in receiving a full copy of the report, please email enquiries@wds.co.

Additional Data:

Impact of age on brand retention (Fig. 2) and share of migrating customers (Fig. 3)

Impact of contract type on brand retention (Fig.4) and share of migrating customers (Fig. 5)

About WDS

WDS, A Xerox Company, provides multi-channel knowledge management, care automation and analytics to help wireless brands deliver a more effective customer service experience and protect customer lifetime value. Driven by our Technology, Services and Consulting practices, it’s our ability to help our clients improve their responsiveness to customer service threats and design failure out of the customer service experience, that means many of the world’s most recognizable wireless brands now trust the outsourcing of their customer service experience to WDS. To find out more, please visit www.wds.co.

About Xerox

Since the invention of Xerography 75 years ago, the people of Xerox (NYSE:XRX) have helped businesses simplify the way work gets done. Today, we are the global leader in business process and document management, helping organizations of any size be more efficient so they can focus on their real business. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., more than 140,000 Xerox employees serve clients in 160 countries, providing business services, printing equipment and software for commercial and government organizations. Learn more at www.xerox.com.

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