Android users switching to iPhone usually purchase legacy or less expensive models

According to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners LLC (CIRP), the percentage of Android users that switch to an iPhone has remained in a pretty tight range over the last few years from 11% to 15%. From 2019 to 2023, the percentage of iPhone buyers that switched from Android to iOS was as follows:

CIRP said in today's report that those Android users who switch to the iPhone are male and make less money than existing iPhone users. Most of these iPhone buyers switch to a legacy model to save money; having said that, a surprising share will buy the latest Pro or Pro Max model.

For the 12 months that ended in December 2023, 29% of Android users who made the switch to iPhone purchased the iPhone SE 3,  the iPhone 12, and the iPhone 13/iPhone 13 mini models. What is interesting here is that the percentage of iPhone owners upgrading to one of those models was lower at 21% over the same time period. During 2023, while 51% of Android switchers bought an iPhone 14 series model (that line was the most current available for 75% of 2023), 56% of those upgrading their iPhone ended up with the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

CIRP discovered that 37% of Android switchers bought an iPhone 14 or iPhone 15 Pro series model while the number of iPhone users upgrading to one of those models was 43%. So why do Android users switching to an iPhone typically start with one of the lower-priced phones? CIRP suggests that one reason might be that many of them are coming from lower-priced Android phones and the legacy and non-Pro iPhone models fit their budget. That makes sense.

Additionally, CIRP suggests that Android switchers might not feel the need to buy the latest iPhone model with all of the new bells and whistles. CIRP writes that for these new iPhone users, "entering the walled garden, using iMessage and FaceTime, and perhaps pairing their phone with AirPods is enough of an upgrade."