Millions of users to abandon Android for the iPhone 6? Not a chance!

Research company Survata has conducted a study which states that five percent of those it surveyed would switch gears from Google’s Android OS to iOS – all because of the iPhone 6. The reason? Apple looks to increase its display size from the iPhone 5’s 4-inch display to a 4.7-inch display (minimum) in the iPhone 6.

Some have said that if five percent of users abandon Android for the iPhone 6 and iOS, then this translates to 50 million Android users.

The problem with this claim, however, boils down to a few things. First, keep in mind that survey involves a portion of the average consumer population. All one needs to do to disprove this survey is examine top Android sites on a regular basis; the comments made against the iPhone and iOS are numerous and unsurprising. With that said, 5% of participants in a survey does not equate to 5% of the worldwide Android consumer base.

Next, if an iPhone 6 inquiry were made with a different group other than the 889 consumers surveyed may show a completely different result. A study with a new group of 900-1000 consumers may show that none of those individuals intend to abandon Android for the iPhone 6. If such a study were possible (which it is), who are we to believe? Survata’s study or the new one?

Last but not least, there is another rumor circulating (a rather misinformed one) that assumes that Apple’s larger display will automatically (and necessarily, for some) pull Android individuals over to iOS. If this were the case, however, Apple would have gained a larger number of consumers when it increased the iPhone 5 display size from 3.5 inches to 4 inches. The larger screens of the iPhone 6 will resonate with iOS users who have wanted larger displays for years, but screen size alone is hardly enough to pull Android users over to the iPhone 6. Anyone who believes this to be true is guilty of making broad overgeneralizations that, in reality, are much more complex.

It could be said that a 4-inch display is too small when discussing display sizes, but 4.7 inches is also too small for most smartphone screens. This explains why a number of Android manufacturers have gone to 5-inch or 5.x-inch screens: to appeal to the growing number of Android users who 1) have larger hands and 2) want to have more screen real estate to watch movies, TV shows, and live performances.

With that said, a number of Android users may find themselves intrigued by a 5.5-inch screen, but the resolution itself will still prove to be a turnoff. Even with Apple increasing the screen resolution to 1704 x 960 (as some suspect Apple will do for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6), this still pales in comparison to the Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080) offered in the LG/Google Nexus 5, Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8, Sony Xperia Z3, and LG G3 (the high-end Android smartphones). The Moto X+1, recently introduced, features a 1080p display, and Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 4 features a 2K or Quad HD resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels.

The iPhone 6 will bring some excellent features to the iPhone experience and iOS, but it is more likely to be well-received with current iPhone users rather than dedicated Android users. The survey itself points out that only 5% of those surveyed would switch to iOS from Android, a survey fact that does match what is all too obvious for the Android faithful.

Tags