- Mike Shields

Apple’s mega-hyped iPhone appears to be winning the global smartphone race, at least in terms of brand loyalty and user satisfaction, according to a new report issued by eMarketer.

Globally, 13 percent of smartphone users are iPhone owners, compared to 9 percent of smartphone users who possess a BlackBerry--the one-time category leader. Nearly half of those iPhone users are in the U.S., per eMarketer. (The research was compiled by analytics firm Crowd Science.)

But beyond leading the market share race, perhaps the most promising trend for Apple is iPhone users’ stated love for the product, and what can be done with it. “Not only are iPhone owners more satisfied—-and more brand-loyal—-than any other smartphone users, they use the most smartphone features,” the report notes. For example, eMarketer found that iPhone users are more likely to use functions such as Wi-Fi and GPS, and claim to be more satisfied with their phone’s screen size and navigation.

The report also found that 82 percents of iPhone owners would “probably or definitely purchase an iPhone again.” A whopping 97 percent said they would recommend the phone to someone else.


Nielsen Business Media