The memes and polarizing opinions about the iPhone 11 aren’t enough to make Porsche owners switch to Android en masse. But nevertheless, Google’s continuous upgrades to Android devices and the plenty of options running this operating system have also translated to a shift of 40 percent to Android from iOS in China.
gizchina.com had a chat with Klaus Zellmer, the chief executive officer and president of Porsche in North America, at the Los Angeles Auto Show on this subject. The head honcho made it clear that around 80 percent of Porsche owners in China are iPhone owners as well, but approximately 40 percent are willing to switch.
“This sudden change has to do with the arrival of 5G,” according to the report, and as you’ve guessed it, Apple doesn’t have any device capable of running the fifth generation of cellular network technology. Zellmer has also acknowledged in front of motoring journalists that Porsche’s focus was on iOS up until this point in time.
The thing is, a few iPhone users aren’t willing to wait until September 2020 for Apple to launch 5G devices. Even worse for the technological giant from Cupertino, iPhone owners tend to change their phones at a slower rate than ever before.
Following the death of Steve Jobs, former head of sales and operations Tim Cook couldn’t reinvent the iPhone as much as the public expected from a smartphone from such a premium-oriented company and at such a high price point. Remember when Apple decided to make do without an audio jack? Not that’s a huge fail, alright!
Another reason for Porsche owners in China switching to Android is “the amazing patriotism” for their country. “Intensified by Trump’s government efforts to put Huawei out of business,” we can’t say that we’re surprised about this change in their preference. iPhone sales are declining in the Middle Kingdom while Huawei soared 66 percent, holding a market share of 42 percent in China during the third quarter of 2019.
On an ending note, what can Apple learn from this shift in one of their most profitable markets? Looking at the bigger picture, competition is the only factor that will force Tim Cook’s higher-ups and engineers to come up with something better, the sort of newities that would retain iPhone owners while bringing new customers to the brand.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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