ecoATM Survey Reveals Only 16 Percent of iPhone Owners Would Never Make the Switch to Galaxy S6

San Diego, Calif. – Samsung’s recently announced Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge will go on sale April 10, but will people upgrade? A recent survey, released by ecoATM, asked 1,050 smartphone owners (including 637 iPhone owners) what it would take for them to upgrade or make a switch from the iPhone® to a Samsung. While 31 percent of iPhone owners said they would switch for the right price and features, only 16 percent would never consider it.

Price may be the biggest factor for iPhone owners, with 42 percent reporting they would consider upgrading to the new Samsung phones if they offered a low (or free) cost to upgrade. Other key findings from the survey include:

• Select features are worth an upgrade. 21 percent of iPhone owners would consider upgrading to a Samsung device for a longer battery life; 18 percent for a larger screen size.
• Brand loyalty plays an important role. 19 percent of iPhone owners said they exclusively own Apple products, while 25 percent said they won’t switch because their friends and family use iPhones.
• Most upgrade out of necessity. The majority of smartphone owners wait to upgrade until their current device breaks (23 percent) or their contract is up (38 percent).

Prior to Samsung’s announcement earlier this month, only 12 percent of survey respondents indicated that a wireless charging feature would encourage them to upgrade; even less cited a nicer camera (10 percent) or a mobile payment feature (three percent) – all features that were touted as part of the Galaxy S6 device lineup.

“Flashy new features do not always drive consumers to purchase the latest devices right away,” said Maria Stipp, president of ecoATM. “Our survey findings show that only six percent of individuals purchase a new smartphone on launch day, and even less – four percent – pre-order a new device. That’s why ecoATM kiosks are a great option for customers – they’re conveniently located in local grocery stores, discount retailer stores or malls for consumers who want cash to fund the purchase of their next phone.”

To coincide with the Samsung Galaxy S6 availability, ecoATM will increase payouts beginning April 7, offering even more instant cash and guaranteed price minimums to consumers for Samsung Galaxy S5 and iPhone 6 devices, including:

• Up to $450 instant cash for an iPhone 6 (guaranteed at least $400 in cash for good working condition from Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile)
• Up to $200 instant cash for a Galaxy S5 (guaranteed at least $150 in cash for good working condition from Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile)

ecoATM has collected more than four million devices, and can recognize over 5,500 types of MP3 players, tablets and cell phones. To locate a kiosk, please visit https://www.ecoatm-public.myshopify.com/.

Methodology: The survey was conducted by Edelman Berland between February 20-23, 2015, and polled 1,050 smartphone owners in the U.S.

About ecoATM
ecoATM, is the first company to create an automated self-serve kiosk system to buy back old phones, tablets or MP3 players for cash. ecoATM uses patented, advanced machine vision, electronic diagnostics, and artificial intelligence to evaluate electronics. ecoATM® eCycling stations provide a convenient trade-in solution with features that validate sellers’ identities and deter the sale of stolen phones, and the company collaborates with national, state, and local law-enforcement groups in combating mobile phone theft through innovative use of technology and education (https://www.ecoatm-public.myshopify.com/pages/law-enforcement/).

ecoATM holds Responsible Recycling (R2) and ISO14001 certification, confirming the company’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of electronics recycling, as well as ISO27001 certification for information and personal data security. See https://www.ecoatm-public.myshopify.com/pages/how-it-works/ for a video of how an ecoATM kiosk works.