Consumers find confidence in and prefer using operating systems that are trusted, well-known and innovative. Strategy Analytics' Wireless Device Lab recently conducted focus groups in the US, where consumers evaluated four of the top mobile operating systems in the industry – Android, Apple's iOS, BlackBerry OS and Windows Phone. Consumers prefer Android OS and Apple iOS, currently the top two OS in the mobile industry, due to both being well established, staying current with the consumers’ needs and wants in regards to features, services and applications offered, and providing quality and popular applications – an aspect consumers look for when purchasing a new device.

Consumers that prefer an easy to use and intuitive OS like a closed platform, similar to Apple iOS, finding the need to customize their devices relatively low. However, consumers who like the ability to customize their device, don’t mind a bit of complexity and prefer having the choice of numerous applications, find an open market OS, such as Android OS, more appealing.

Consumers are hesitant to switch mobile OS, with the majority mainly concerned with the burden of learning a new, unfamiliar OS as well as losing any data or content currently stored or downloaded to their device. In order to attract consumers to switching operating systems, it is imperative for operating systems to offer an easy transition from one to another to obtain new users. Consumers find services such as the Cloud, an easy and trusted way to transfer their content, as long as they are compatible and available with the mobile OS.

To view the full report, including an evaluation of all four mobile operating systems and how participants perceive each OS, strengths and weaknesses of each OS and consumer interest in the mobile OS across different devices, click here: Ecosystem Determines Consumer Attachment to Mobile Operating Systems (subscription required)

- Taryn Tulay