Pixel 3 Fails to Convince iPhone Users to Switch to Android

Planning to ditch your Samsung smartphone in favor of the Google Pixel 3 or OnePlus 6T? You're not alone.

Previous Samsung smartphone owners are driving sales of the Pixel 3 and OnePlus 6T, according to new data from Counterpoint Research. Overall, more than one-third of Pixel 3 and OnePlus 6T buyers in the fourth quarter of 2018 switched from a Samsung device. Less than one in five switched from an iPhone.

Breaking it down, 51 percent of those who purchased a Pixel 3 ($219.00 at Amazon) during the quarter previously used a Samsung smartphone, the market research firm said Monday. Just 18 percent upgraded from an iPhone, 14 percent switched from a Motorola handset, and 17 percent ditched other phones.

"The Pixel was built to lead Android innovation and be a device to sway the iOS base over to Android," Counterpoint Research Director Jeff Fieldhack said in a statement. "Over 80 percent of [Pixel 3] volumes are coming from its Android partners. This is probably seen as a disappointment."

Meanwhile, 37 percent of those who bought a 6T during the quarter jumped ship from Samsung, Counterpoint said. Just 16 percent switched to the 6T from an iPhone, 15 percent upgraded from an LG phone, and 32 percent previously used other types of devices.

"Both the Pixel and 6T devices show that there is room to innovate in the market," Fieldhack said. "While Samsung and Apple are dwarfing others in size, marketing spends, and consumer perception, there are pockets of users that are still interested in alternatives."

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