The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ were announced last week and I think most would agree, they are drop-dead gorgeous. The build quality, Infinity Display, and other features may be very good reasons to switch from an iPhone, but most won’t. You see, it’s iPhone apps that have locked people down to Apple’s device and iPhone apps have a strong hold. That’s not to say that iPhone apps are better, that’s not even remotely the point here. The point is, while people may be tempted to switch, it’s the investment they’ve made into Apple’s app ecosystem that will stop them short.
There was a time when we could argue the point that Android apps just weren’t up to par with what Apple offered. Those days are gone. Android apps can compete head-to-head with iPhone apps but there are many users just too heavily invested to even try Android. I remember making the switch to Android years ago with the Samsung Galaxy S Captivate. I had at least $100USD invested into Apple’s app ecosystem and it was a very hard move to make. Suddenly I have to find all of the apps I used to use and at that time there were many that weren’t available on Android.
These days, I use both Android and iOS and I am pretty heavily invested into both ecosystems but I am a rare breed. The average smartphone user isn’t willing to just walk away from dozens of paid apps only to have to buy them again on another platform. While the majority of mainstream apps are all free — with some offering in-app purchases — there are still those that will cost you. Even if it’s a handful of apps priced between $.99USD and $9.99USD, the price tag starts to get hefty once you start adding them up.
I’ve no doubt that there will be a smattering of iPhone users intrigued enough by Samsung’s new phone that they will switch. I do think that the majority of iPhone users will remain with the device they’ve invested into simply because they have no interest in buying all those iPhone apps all over again.
Personally, I can’t wait to get my hands on the new Samsung device, but I already have all of my core apps and games purchased and in place to be on my way.
What do you think? Are most users already locked into their device ecosystems due to their investment in apps? Are you an iPhone users thinking of making the switch? Let us know in the comments below or on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook.
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