Nearly four in ten (39%) Blackberry owners continue to prefer Apple's iPhone as their next smartphone purchase, but another one-third (34%) say they would switch to Google's Android operating system, according to a survey from Crowd Science.
The Android rivals the iPhone in owner loyalty: 92% of iPhone owners and 87% of Android owners plan to stick with their current brand when buying their next phone.
Below, other findings from Crowd Science's Android vs. iPhone survey.
Nearly one third (32%) of Blackberry owners, compared with just 9% of iPhone owners, say they would swap their current phone for Google's new Android-based Nexus One. Meanwhile 60% of other smartphone owners say they would swap their phone for a Nexus One.
Android & Google Nexus One Launch
Awareness
Awareness of the Android operating system jumped to 66% after the January 5, 2010 launch of the Google Nexus One phone, up six percentage points from the 60% prior to the launch.
Post-launch awareness of the Nexus One phone was highest among iPhone owners: 91% said they had heard of the Nexus One, followed by Blackberry owners (75%) and other smartphone owners (73%).
Familiarity
Only 10% of all smartphone users said they were familiar with the Android operating system (with "familiar" implying some working knowledge). That level remained constant throughout the survey period (Dec. 24, 2009-Jan. 21, 2010), including after the Nexus One launch.
Naturally, Android owners were more familiar with their own phone's OS: 45% said they were familiar.
iPhone Users Download More Paid Apps
Owners of all types of smartphones reported downloading free applications in the previous seven days: 53% of iPhone owners reported downloading 1-5 free apps in the previous seven days, followed by 42% of Android owners and 28% of Blackberry owners.
However, iPhone owners were significantly more likely than Android owners to pay for applications: 36% of iPhone owners reported downloading 1-5 paid apps in the previous seven days, compared with 16% of Android owners and 8% of Blackberry owners.
Android Owners Skew Younger, Less Affluent
Android owners skew younger than Blackberry owners: 29% of Android owners are age 18-24 (vs. 11% of Blackberry owners), and 58% are age 25-54 (vs. 79%). Meanwhile, 15% of iPhone owners are age 18-24, and 76% are age 25-54.
Android owners are also less affluent than iPhone and Blackberry owners: Almost one-half of iPhone (47%) and Blackberry (48%) owners have an annual household income of $100,000+, compared with 35% of Android owners.
Overall, the mix of male and female users is relatively similar among iPhone, Android, and Blackberry owners. However, ownership among the three smartphone devices is still dominated by men, who account for 88% of iPhone users, 84% of Android users, and 82% of Blackberry users.
Smartphone Use: Business vs. Personal
Android and iPhone owners are more likely than Blackberry owners to use their phones for personal use: 32% of Android owners and 28% of iPhone owners say they use their phone for personal use, compared with 16% of Blackberry owners.
A significantly higher proportion of Blackberry owners (7%) use their device for business purposes only, compared with just 1% of iPhone owners and no Android owners.
About the data: Findings are from a survey of 1,140 consumers randomly recruited via Crowd Science's Sample Beta program, from Dec. 24, 2009 to Jan. 21, 2010. Most respondents (44%) used a regular cell phone, not a smartphone. iPhone users accounted for 17% of respondents, followed by users of Blackberry (15%), Nokia (10%), Windows Mobile (4%), Android (3%), and Palm (2%).
