Nearly 30% of Q1 IPhone Upgraders Kept Their Old Phones for 3 Years or More, Says CIRP

The latest iPhone series models -- 11, 11 Pro and Pro Max -- made up 66% of U.S. iPhone sales in Q1, reported Consumer Intelligence Research Partners Wednesday. The oldest and lowest-priced (prior to the launch of the $399 SE last week) iPhone 8 and 8 Plus had 13% share in the quarter, which CIRP called “weaker” than the comparable phones in previous purchase cycles. IPhone owners are keeping their phones longer, said analyst Mike Levin: 28% of buyers kept their previous iPhone for three years or more vs. 12% three years ago. A high-single-digit percentage of iPhone buyers upgrade their phones each year, he said. Overall, consumers increasingly buy the newest, more expensive phones, but they’re keeping the phones “for a much longer time," well past the typical two years from a few years ago, said Levin. That slows the upgrade market and reduces unit demand in a saturated market, he said. Findings were based on a survey of 500 U.S. iPhone purchasers January-March.