Think back several months; you may recall that some pundits thought Apple CEO Tim Cook wasn’t up to the job. Today there’s little evidence to justify those claims. Here are a few statistics to prove how Cook did the right thing keeping his cool while people got used to him.
77%
Apple’s OS is not fragmented and its customers have learned to delay upgrading until they are certain the software’s stable. That common sense approach is why iOS 8 took a little while to proliferate, but it now accounts for 77 percent of the user base. Apple learned from this, of course, and that’s why it is preparing to refine the OS in the next iteration. Cook’s Apple watches and learns.
99%
Everyone wants loyalty, so no surprise Cook likes to point to Apple’s ludicrously high customer satisfaction ratings, such as the 99 percent satisfaction among iPhone users. These figures are the highest in the industry, not because of any marketing muscle but because people who use these products like them more than they like anything else. Apple does not need to create any hype around customer satisfaction, its products do that job for them.
20%
“Up to 20 percent of Samsung users are considering switching to Apple,” according to the UBS Evidence Lab Survey. In the holiday quarter, 86 percent of iOS users and 72 percent of Android users remained with their previous operating system; in the UK Android share fell 3.7 percent. That’s the environment in which Apple is preparing to offer switchers from other platforms gift cards they can use toward the cost of their new iPhone. Cook’s Apple is quite happy to kick a little butt from time to time.
25%
Android vendors need to get ready to lose more and more users to the iPhone. Gartner research director Roberta Cozza said: “Android vendors at the high end are finding it hard to differentiate and add value beyond technology and features. Furthermore, Apple's brand clout and ecosystem -- alongside the new large-screen iPhone models -- are strong alternatives." Apple has a unique product and has built the momentum it needs – and people shopping for a smartphone know its products make sense, even in developing markets. Apple’s iPhone’s now account for 25 percent of smartphones sold in China, claims Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.
40%
Apple’s decision to offer a trade-in deal for Android users purchasing an iPhone is likely to have a significant impact on Apple Watch sales. After all, if you want an Apple Watch, you’ll need an iPhone 5 or later to use it – and the combination of Watch and iPhone looks to be of growing interest to smartphone users, if only to see what they can do. Gartner analyst Robert Hetu says: “Apple continues to find ways to connect and make itself indispensable to consumers.” 40 percent of iPhone owners are already interested in purchasing an Apple Watch. Meanwhile, rumor has it future Android smartwatches will be iOS compatible. What will be Apple’s response?
Apple also makes Macs, and even in that segment its products are gaining market share at a faster rate than industry growth. The Mac continues to thrive.
5
Apple stock commenced trading on the Dow Jones Industrial Index this morning,. The company’s stock has climbed 15.85 percent this year. Apple is the fifth most influential stock in the Dow.
People don’t spend too much time berating Tim Cook these days. Perhaps those who did should apologize?
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