Apple launch event: Report says users trade in more iPhones than Android phones

Representational photo. Pic/iStock

Ahead of Apple "iPhone 13" launch, a new report suggests that iPhone gets traded in at a higher rate than Android handsets, with nearly one-third of Apple trade-ins going toward the purchase of an upgrade.

According to a survey conducted by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), more than 35 per cent of iPhone owners who purchased a new or used device over the 12-month period ending in June either sold or traded in their old model.

About 30 per cent traded in iPhone, while just over 5 per cent sold the device, citing the survey that included 2,000 smartphone users in the US, AppleInsider reported on Tuesday.

By comparison, roughly 5 per cent of Android owners who rid themselves of their smartphone hardware over the same period sold the device, while just over 10 per cent traded in it.

Upgrades for iPhone are in part driven by Apple's popular iPhone Upgrade Programme, which allows customers to receive a new iPhone every year by paying a monthly fee.

Interestingly, nearly half of Android handsets are kept, with only 29 per cent of iPhone owners surveyed claiming the same.

The survey indicates Android users are holding on to their handsets for "future use", but owners might come to the conclusion that it is not worthwhile to trade in or sell old hardware.

About 10 per cent of Android handsets were recycled, more than double the amount reported by iPhone owners. Similarly, some 14 per cent of Android handsets were reported lost, stolen or broken, a statistic compared with about 12 per cent for iPhone.

Digging deeper into the data shows 84 per cent of buyers who had an old iPhone reported a "perfect" or "scratched but usable" display. That compares to 76 per cent of buyers who had an old Android phone.