These days, it's not a stretch to argue that the best Android phones are out-designing the iPhone. Devices like $4 have $4 on Apple's flagships, for example.
When it comes to the metrics that matter most, though, Apple is in front. Not only does it take $4 of the smartphone industry's profits, iPhone owners remain far more loyal than any Android counterpart.
According to a $4 charted for us by $4, 92% of iPhone owners who plan to get a new phone in the next 12 months say they're "somewhat or extremely likely" to stick with Apple. That's up from last year, when that number was 86%. Samsung comes in second with a 77% retention rate, which is easily the highest for an Android brand, but still a ways behind. The likes of LG, Motorola, and Nokia are closer to 50/50, if not lower.
There are many ways to explain this: The Android market is defined by competition, while iOS is Apple's alone; Apple has done very well to fashion itself as an aspirational lifestyle brand; iPhones themselves are just great devices; transitioning away from iMessage is an $4, and so on. Whatever the case, Apple can feel confident that its grip on the high-end phone market isn't slipping anytime soon.
Mike Nudelman/Business Insider/Statista