The Samsung Galaxy S5 — the company's old warhorse which released in 2014 — is quite the favorite with consumers in the United States.
According to a report from the Kantar Worldpanel, a consumer insight firm, the Galaxy S5 is the most favored Samsung smartphone in the country.
It will be interesting to see how the Galaxy S5 fares against the newly-launched Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.
Kantar Worldpanel Report: How Did The Galaxy S5 Fare?
According to the report, the Galaxy S5 was the most popular smartphone from the South Korean OEM in the United States as of February this year. The second-most popular Samsung smartphone in the country was the Galaxy S7, which accounted for 11.5 percent installed base vis-à-vis the Galaxy S5's 15.6 percent.
The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S7 edge were next in line with 11.4 percent and 5.8 percent installed base, respectively.
An interesting trend the report shared was that very few people upgraded to a new handset from Samsung in the past year.
"Over the last 12 months, Kantar data shows that roughly 28% of that installed base upgraded to a new Samsung smartphone," noted the report.
Out of the percentage which upgraded, roughly 52 percent went for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge, whereas only 10 percent opted for the Galaxy S6 smartphone.
The remaining customers chose from the 48 other Samsung smartphones available in the United States. This data suggests that even though the last company flagship garners maximum consumer attention, the OEMs offering's in the country continue to stay diverse.
Some Galaxy S7 Users May Upgrade
According to the report, roughly 20 percent of the Galaxy S7 owners in the United States are looking to upgrade their handset in the next 12 months. By comparison, approximately 40 percent and 55 percent Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S5 owners are contemplating upgrading their handset.
On the other hand, the data reveals that while older-gen Samsung smartphone owners may be loyal to the company, the preference for the brand "is weaker on newer devices." Nearly 64 percent owners of the Galaxy S6 revealed that they would opt for a Samsung smartphone again vis-à-vis 76 percent Galaxy S5 owners. The brand preference numbers for the Galaxy S7 are not known.
Which Other Brand Do Galaxy S6 And Galaxy S5 Owners Prefer?
The next brand which is preferred by the users of Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S6 is Apple. While 12 percent Galaxy S5 owners like Apple, a marginally higher 15 percent Galaxy S6 owners prefer the company as its next best brand.
Consumers may possibly be keen on purchasing the red variants of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
Galaxy Note 7 Debacle Affected Samsung?
Despite the Galaxy Note 7 battery explosion, the preorder numbers for the next-generation Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ did not suffer a setback. The pre-sale numbers for the Galaxy S8 were double than that of the Galaxy S7.
However, based on numbers, it is unlikely that the Galaxy S8 will be the iPhone 8 killer. To put things into perspective, in 2016, only 5 percent customers who switched to Samsung were iPhone users.
According to the report, if Samsung intends to increase its consumer base, then the OEM should ensure it focuses on existing customer retention. The company can do so by offering them additional products, which it already is with its Bixby, Samsung Connect, and more.
