More People Would Rather Buy An iPhone 5 Than Purchase A Previous Model This Season

Morgan Stanley and AlphaWise are reporting that new iPhone buyers are opting for Apple’s newest handset at a higher rate than in past years. The survey, which showed that 86 percent of new buyers were selecting the iPhone 5, was first reported by AppleInsider.

In a survey of 1,000 U.S. smartphone buyers, just 10 percent said that they were buying the $99 iPhone 4S. This compared to just 4 percent opting for the free iPhone 4. The iPhone 5, which debuted in September, is available in three models beginning at $199 with a two-year contract. In 2011, 82 percent of iPhone buyers purchased the then-new iPhone 4S, versus 15 percent for the iPhone 4, and 3 percent for the iPhone 3GS.

In other findings, the survey suggests that existing iPhone buyers are sticking with Apple when making their next smartphone purchase. Currently, the iPhone enjoys an 83 percent retention rate. This compares to 73 percent who said the same in 2011. Samsung, by contrast, is seeing a retention rate of 63 percent. This is a significant increase from last year when just 37 percent of Samsung customers planned on buying another smartphone from the company. Source: AppleInsider

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