In the run-up to the iPhone 16 event on September 9, the question arises as to what will make people buy a new iPhone.
This is why people buy a new iPhone
Research agency Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) has released a new report to answer this question. Interestingly, only 18 percent said new features were the reason they bought a new iPhone. The most compelling reasons to upgrade are listed below.
New Features Don’t Compel iPhone Purchases
CIRP’s new research is called ‘New Features Don’t Compel iPhone Purchases‘. It is based on feedback from iPhone buyers from June 2023-2024. The survey allowed respondents to give open-ended answers, after which CIRP divided them into six categories:
- Old iPhone is outdated.
- Old iPhone is lost, broken or stolen.
- Wanted the latest features.
- Financial incentive from the provider.
- Improve network quality, including upgrade to 5G.
- Friends and family have iPhones.
With an outdated iPhone, it is simply time to buy a new iPhone. Or the current iPhone has become slower and no longer performs well. With a lost, broken or stolen iPhone, the test subjects can have a completely unusable device, for example, but also a broken screen. Or a battery that no longer charges. ‘Wanted the latest features’ means that customers have a well-functioning iPhone, but would like new features, such as an improved camera, a better screen or a faster processor.
Why do people buy a new iPhone?
The most popular reason for buying a new iPhone (44 percent) was an outdated iPhone. The second most popular reason (29 percent) was a lost, broken or stolen smartphone.
Just under a fifth of respondents said new features were the reason they bought a new iPhone. Carrier incentives, an improved network and friends with iPhones accounted for a combined 9 percent.
Which category do you fall into? Are you among the 18 percent who will buy a new iPhone because of the new features Apple delivers with its annual iPhone upgrades? Let us know!
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