There is a split in the USA over how often to upgrade a smartphone. According to a survey by Gallup, 54% of users in the US say that they will only upgrade when their phone stops working, or becomes totally obsolete. 44% said that they would upgrade as soon as their contract is over (usually every two years) and 2% when a new model is released. The survey highlights the need for smartphone vendors and mobile operators to convince consumers to upgrade more regularly, said Gallup.
Results were based on answers from 15,766 US adults this year: 8,234 iPhone users, 6,072 Android users and 1,105 ‘other’ users. iPhone users were found to be willing to upgrade more frequently than Android users, with 51% saying that they would upgrade every two years. 47% said that they would only upgrade when their phone stops working/becomes obsolete. In contrast, these numbers were 40% and 58% for Android users, and 21% and 76% for ‘other’ users.
Gallup believes that income is a reason for the results. iPhone owners tend to be more affluent; among households earning $75,000 or more per year, 55% own an iPhone and 40% own an Android phone.
