Most smartphone users are aware of Android but otherwise struggle to distinguish between OS and handset brands
New research just released by Ipsos reveals:
- Android is the pure play Operating System (OS) known best by smartphone users
- Many smartphone users are still unsure of what an OS is, but the benefits are driving smartphone choice
- The brand of OS has the potential to drive handset share
Ipsos’s Mobile Operating System Syndicated Study has found that the majority of current and potential smartphone users are aware of Android. Just over half (53%) say they have heard of Android when prompted with a list of brands of mobile operating systems (OS). But levels of awareness of Apple’s iOS4 (9%) are far lower than the iPhone (81%).
The confusion between OS and handset brands can also be seen when smartphone users who are aware they have an operating system on their phone – which is just over half (53%) – are asked what operating system their phone uses. Android (28%) is the main pure play OS brand that stands out with most iPhone users not distinguishing the OS from the handset.
What users are looking for
When current and potential smartphone users are prompted with a list of benefits they are looking for from their next OS, ease of use and speed come out top.
Ipsos’s Mobile Operating System Syndicated Study used conjoint analysis to explore in greater depth the impact of the OS on the future decision-making process in choosing a smartphone. Our analysis found that, in certain scenarios, the OS can increase or decrease choice share for specific handsets.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Ipsos’s Mobile Operating System Syndicated Study focuses on understanding the impact of the Operating System on the Smartphone market.
The study poses questions such as:
- Do consumers really know what an OS is?
- Which OS leads the market?
- What price premium do different OS systems sustain?
Results for the Mobile Operating System Syndicated Study are based on 2,018 online interviews among potential and current smartphone owners aged 16-65. Quotas were set on age, gender, region and working status to be broadly representative of the profile of smartphone owners in Great Britain. Potential smartphone owners were defined as those intending to replace their existing phone with a smartphone within the next year. Fieldwork was carried out between 12 and 22 November 2010 using Ipsos Online Access panels.
About Ipsos
Ipsos is one of the largest, and best known research companies in the UK and a key part of the Ipsos Group, a leading global research company. With a direct presence in over 60 countries our clients benefit from specialist knowledge drawn from our five global practices: public affairs research, advertising testing and tracking, media evaluation, marketing research and consultancy, customer satisfaction and loyalty.
