Ahead of next week’s iPhone 16 event, CIRP has released a new report answering the question “What motivates you to buy a new iPhone?” Interestingly, only 18% of respondents said new features were a reason to buy a new iPhone, and here’s what’s most important in convincing customers to upgrade.
The new CIRP study, “New Features Don’t Force You to Buy an iPhone,” is based on feedback from iPhone buyers from June 2023 to 2024.
The survey allowed respondents to share open-ended answers, and CIRP then sorted the data into the following six categories:
- The old phone is getting old
- Old phone lost, broken or stolen
- I want the latest features
- Financial incentive for the carrier
- Improve network quality, including upgrading to 5G
- Friends and family have iPhones.
CIRP asserts that to qualify as an answer as “old phone that’s outdated” means that the respondent shared that their previous phone wasn’t working well. For answers to count as “new features” as a reason for upgrading, the respondent shared that they already have a phone that “works well” but want the latest features such as new cameras, a SIM card, etc.
Why do people buy a new iPhone?
The most common reason (44% of respondents) was that their current phone was “outdated.”
The second most common reason for buying a new iPhone, with 29% of respondents, was a lost, broken or stolen smartphone.
Nearly one-fifth of respondents said new features were the reason they spent money on a new iPhone, with carrier and network incentives and friends/family owning an iPhone accounting for a combined 9%.
Which category do you fall into? Are you among the 18% of buyers who buy the new features that Apple introduces with annual iPhone upgrades? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Recent CIRP studies:
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