- Android switchers last year mostly moved to the iPhone 14 / 14 Plus
- 10% of those switching from Android to iOS went for the iPhone SE
- Android switchers chose older models more than iOS upgraders
Last year, we saw Android fans switching to iPhone in record numbers. That trend has now plateaued, but new data has revealed which iPhone models most Android defectors are switching to – and there are a few surprises
According to new data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), which tracks last year's sales to the end of December 2023, the most popular iPhone models for those moving from Android were the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.
That's perfectly understandable, given the iPhone 15 only arrived in September 2023. But some of the other popular picks are very revealing. The overall trend for Android switchers – compared to iPhone upgraders – was towards cheaper models; for example, 10% went for the iPhone SE, despite that phone now being four years old.
A much larger proportion of Android switchers last year (8% of the total), also went for the iPhone 12 (twice as many, by proportion, as upgraders who were already within the iOS ecosystem). That said, Android leavers certainly weren't averse to picking up an iPhone Pro or Pro Max – overall, 37% of people switching from Google's mobile OS to iOS picked up one of those models.
The biggest difference between those switching from Android to iPhone and existing iPhone owners upgrading, though, is clearly a greater preference for older, legacy models. Last year, 29% of people switching from Android to iPhone picked up an iPhone SE, iPhone 12 or iPhone 13. That compared to only 21% of existing iPhone owners doing the same.
What's behind the differences?
In some ways, these differences in upgrade tastes between Android and existing iPhone owners might be a little surprising. After all, switching to an entirely new operating system is a bigger move than staying within iOS – so you might expect Android switchers to make a correspondingly bolder leap with their choice of iPhone, in order to get the most from that new OS.
But then again, the disparities are also likely explained by price. This trend has been seen in previous years – and as CIRP notes, many Android switchers are coming from more affordable phones. And perfectly capable older models like the iPhone SE or iPhone 12 are likely a better budget match, particularly given Apple's record for lengthy software support. iPhone owners may also get a better trade-in price for their phone, as Apple's phones typically retain a better resale value.
Another completely understandable reason is that Android switchers may feel they don't need the latest iPhone to experience the best of iOS. That's certainly the case, with iOS 17's latest features, like StandBy mode and NameDrop (not to mention iMessage and FaceTime) all working perfectly fine on these so-called 'legacy' models.
With iOS 18 also rumored to be supporting the same phones as iOS 17 – which would mean any model from 2018's iPhone XR onwards – those popular iPhones among Android switchers will be future-proofed for a good few years yet. For example, if Apple's iOS support follows a similar pattern, the iPhone 14 shouldn't be dropped from software support until at least 2029.
So while many people buy newer iPhones as a future-proofing strategy, a lot of Android switchers are rightly seeing a sweet spot in slightly older models that only differ from the iPhone in minor ways. Whether or not the rumored AI upgrades coming to iOS in 2024 and beyond changes this remains to be seen.
