Apple iPhone’s sales hit by fewer innovations and new carrier plans
Mobile customers are now using their iPhones longer than in the past, according to a new study by CIRP. Consumer Intelligence Research Partners reveal that the iPhone users are switching to a new model three months later than they did in the past.
The majority (66%) of the mobile users who upgraded to a new iPhone in June 2013 had a smartphone that is between 0 and 2 years old. In March 2016, those up to 2 years old iPhones were only 51%, according to the study. At the same time, the iPhone owners with phones older than 3 years who bought new devices have increased from 5% to 12% for the same period.
There are two reasons for this trend. First, the smartphone manufacturers have been struggling to innovate lately and Apple is not an exception. The slower rate of mobile innovation has definitely influenced the iPhone users, making them use their phones longer. Furthermore, today, the carriers encourage users to keep their phones longer by giving rewards if the phones are paid in full.
Current iPhone 6 and 6s users will be less likely to upgrade to iPhone 7 compared with the people who upgraded from iPhone 5/5S to 6. According to multiple rumors, the next iPhone won’t be a huge upgrade over the previous model, so the share of old devices in use is expected to increase in the next quarters.