The gadget buying public of the US are now more likely to stick with Samsung’s mobile products than Apple’s, with a recent study showing that the Korean company leads Apple in terms of consumer loyalty for the first time.
For a long time Apple lead the pack in terms of brand loyalty for smartphones, although Samsung’s recent surge in popularity through its Galaxy series of devices saw the two companies tied. The latest Consumer Loyalty Engagement Index from Brand Keys, which studies over 39,000 people in the US, shows that more people would opt for a Samsung phone again over an iPhone.
In terms of laptops, the two companies are still tied. However, in the smartphone stakes, where Apple has previously shone, Samsung has taken the lead. It also leads in the flat screen TV area, which is far less surprising.
The survey is one that is well respected in the industry, with the large number of 39,000 people surveyed making it possible to apply results to the entire country with 95% accuracy. Brand Keys President Robert Passikoff says there’s a “significant difference” between the two companies in the smartphone market.
LG followed Apple in third place, with Nokia and Sony tied for fourth place and Motorola, HTC and BlackBerry following suit from there to finish up the top 8.
Amazon proved more popular than Apple in both the e-Reader/e-Book and tablet sectors, showing that Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets have become extremely popular. It could also show that the line between e-Reader and tablet is being blurred for the customer, with many picking up Kindle Fire tablets specifically for reading.
For now, the study shows that Apple’s brand dominance is being challenged, which is only a good thing for the consumer as it will result in better competition between companies.