By the numbers: Apple's U.S. launch of the iPhone 5S and 5C

By the numbers: Apple's U.S. launch of the iPhone 5S and 5C

Philip Elmer-Dewitt quotes data from Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster:

90% of iPhone 5S/5C buyers were upgrading from another version of the iPhone compared to 83% for the iPhone 5 launch and 73% for the iPhone 4S. We note that given the relative maturity of the smartphone market in the US, it is not surprising to see that a majority of iPhone 5S/5C buyers were current iPhone users. We believe that the high level of iPhone users upgrading to the new 5S or 5C demonstrates continued high loyalty levels among iPhone users.

So, depending on how you look at it, Apple is either retaining a huge share of its customers by making great products with useful new features, or they’re brainwashing them by reskinning year old tech or year old looks, then overcharging people for it.

I argue the former.