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Upgrade to iPhone 8? Many Say Not Quite Yet

Most want to see a better iOS from Apple

June 8, 2017 | Mobile

Though Apple will likely not unveil its 10-year anniversary iPhone until later this year, a new study from Branding Brand, which builds mobile commerce sites and apps for retailers, asked US iPhone users if they plan on trading in their current device for the latest version. Many said they won’t.

Device Model for Which US iPhone Owners Would Trade Their Current iPhone When the Next iPhone Launches, June 2017 (% of respondents)

In fact, just over a quarter (26%) said they plan on getting the upcoming iPhone 8. In contrast, nearly half (45%) of iPhone users surveyed said they don’t plan on trading in their current device this year.

Meanwhile, 14% of respondents said that when the iPhone 8 launches, they plan to trade in their current device for an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus. Another 12% said they would trade in their device for any of the iPhone 6 models. While those respondents are adopting outdated models, they may still represent an upgrade for users with even older iPhone types.

When asked what they want to see next from Apple, a plurality of respondents (44%) simply wanted a better-functioning operating system. Still, the iPhone 8 was top of mind for some—a quarter of respondents wanted to see a redesigned smartphone.

Excitement for the iPhone 8 may not be very high, at least according to Branding Brand, because the iPhone—in essence—has become a commodity device.

Apple’s iPhone 7 sales have been sluggish, and the company reportedly cut production by roughly 10% in the first quarter of 2017.

Snapshot 2007: How Consumers Viewed the iPhone When It Launched (% of respondents)

The upcoming device will reportedly have all-glass casing, no home button and wireless charging capability—all new features for Apple, but also ground rival Samsung has already covered.

Nonetheless, this year will not only be a milestone for Apple, but also for smartphones.

In 2017, 2.39 billion people, more than half of the world’s mobile phone users, will regularly use a smartphone, eMarketer predicts. And by 2020, smartphone users will account for more than 60.0% of mobile phone users worldwide.

—Rimma Kats

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