The smartphone duopoly of Apple and Samsung will only grow stronger in the near term, as more than 80 and 60 percent of their customers, respectively, say they will stay with them. By contrast, less than half of all users of any other smartphone manufacturer say they intend to retain their current brand the next time they buy a new device, according to a survey by Market Strategies International. And which brands do those defectors predict they will buy? Apple or Samsung.
¡°Manufacturers in the middle, like HTC, LG, Motorola and Nokia, are really being stretched by the competition. Our research shows smartphone consumers want a brand they can trust, an operating system with all the features and a high-quality product they can rely on for business and pleasure. Apple and Samsung score highly in all those areas. The other brands have their work cut out for them,¡± said Paul Donagher, senior vice president, Telecommunications Division, Market Strategies International.
One brand that may have revived its last chance with consumers to hold off Apple and Samsung is Blackberry. The company has a core group of loyalists who, as long-time users and proponents of the business functionality, intend to stay with their Blackberry no matter what.
¡°To maintain the viability of its business, Blackberry must hold on to this core. To grow the business, it must gain back the customers they had three to four years ago and understand the non-business functionality that Apple and Samsung provide. This suggests a dual strategy that develops devices their core group will appreciate and new devices like the Blackberry Z10 that cater to business andpersonal needs,¡± added Donagher.
