Apple Study Reveals Carrier Loyalty To Be Main Reason For Android Buys

There's an Apple internal study out there, and revealed today by Samsung, that says your choice of an Android smartphone was likely made because you're loyal to your mobile carrier. In this study, Apple asked consumers back in 2010 why they purchase an Android device. One of the least chosen answers, believe it or not, was that these Android lovers wanted "the latest technology."

Also near the bottom for consumers in this Apple-run study was that people chose Android because it had turn-by-turn GPS navigation. This study very well may have been part of the reason why Apple's version of Maps (Google Maps powered though it was) has thus far not had turn-by-turn navigation onboard. Another of the least-chosen answers to the question was that people "wanted the latest and greatest smartphone."

Up near the top you'll see that this study found – far and away, actually – that consumers purchasing Android devices did so because they "wanted to stay with [their] current wireless service provider." This answer had 48% of those surveyed answering that yes, this was a reason why they chose an Android smartphone or tablet – more likely a smartphone is what they were speaking about given the year, but the iPad was certainly right at the back of their minds as well.

• Wanted to stay with current wireless service provider: 48%

• Trusted the Google brand: 36%

• Preferred larger screen: 30%

• Preferred the Android market for apps (Gmail, Google Docs, Google-Voice): 27%

• Wanted better integration with google services: 26%

• Wanted the latest and greatest smartphone: 26%

• Wanted turn by turn GPS navigation: 25%

• Wanted the latest technology: 25%

Those who trusted Google's brand were next with a 36% agreement rate and 30% of responders said they preferred a larger screen, and that this was why they chose Android. Right in the middle of this list was the question of whether their choice of Android was due to them preferring the Android Market (now called Google Play) for apps, these including Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Voice as examples – this answer has a 27% share.

Keep in mind again that this study was done internally at Apple in 2010, while the original iPhone was released in 2007. The first Verizon iPhone wasn't released until 2011 – this being the first non-AT&T version of an iPhone here in the United States. Take from that what you will!

[via CNET]