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Most Pixel buyers are jumping ship from Samsung, study shows

Most Pixel buyers are jumping ship from Samsung, study shows

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But there aren’t many iPhone converts

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Photo by James Bareham / The Verge

Google’s latest Pixel smartphones are catching on, mostly by taking users away from other Android smartphone makers. According to a new study published by CounterPoint Research, more than half of Pixel 3 converts were previously using a Samsung phone.

Specifically, 51 percent of Pixel 3 buyers were formerly Samsung Galaxy owners, while only 18 percent migrated from iPhones, and 14 percent came from Motorola devices. Of the remainder of users who switched to the Pixel 3, about 17 percent came from “Other” smartphones. Overall, these are compelling stats that solidify the Pixel 3’s position as the smartphone that vouches for Android as a platform while confirming that it stole users from other devices within its own ecosystem.

Smartphone Churn Tracker, Q4 2018.
Smartphone Churn Tracker, Q4 2018.
Photo: Counterpoint Research

This data can also be seen as a bit disappointing for Google. After all, Apple users still aren’t switching to Google’s Pixel 3 lineup in huge numbers, despite that the Pixel 3 has been available for purchase since October of last year. Pixel sales are a small portion of the market, with the Pixel 3 only making up 7.3 percent of Verizon’s total smartphone sales during Q4 of 2018.

There’s always the next set of sales numbers to look forward to. But until then, customers who switched from Galaxy phones will be able to enjoy the Pixel’s fast software updates, which is something that Samsung owners frequently miss out on.