74% think next-gen iPhone should be named something else
Apple introduced iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 earlier this month with some brand new additions and several quality-of-life tweaks.
SharePlay for sharing media over FaceTime calls, LiveText that extracts text from images, FaceTime support for non-Apple devices through link sharing, and an upgraded Wallet app for storing ID cards are among some of the new features.
While beta testing of the new software versions has already begun, the final stable build won’t reach the users until sometime in the fall, which will coincide with the launch of next-gen iPhones.
With only three months to go until then, we did a follow-up to our previous survey to gauge user opinion on Apple’s upcoming iPhones and software releases.
Survey Highlights:
- 1-in-5 Apple users (18.3%) are triskaidekaphobic (fear of number ’13’) and would be put off by the ‘iPhone 13’ moniker
- A whopping 74% would prefer a different name than iPhone 13 for next-gen iPhones, with ‘iPhone (2021)’ voted the most suitable name at 38%. Other responses: iPhone 13 (26%), iPhone 21 (16%), iPhone 12S (13%), iPhone 14 (7%)
- A majority of Apple users (64%) would rather wait for new iPhones to come out than buy an iPhone 12 right now if an upgrade is due
- More than half (52.6%) are “slightly” or “not at all” excited about the new iOS/iPadOS 15 update, with an additional 28.1% revealing they are only “somewhat” excited
- Upgraded wallet (23%), advanced Spotlight search (17.3%), ‘Find My’ feature to track switched-off or erased devices (14.2%), SharePlay (10.1%), LiveText (9%) are among the most liked features of the new software
- Interactive widgets (32.3%), always-on display (21%), pro tools (Xcode, Final Cut Pro, etc.) for iPad (14.9%), better external display support for iPad (13.2%), and support for multiple user accounts (8%) are among the top missing features
- 53.1% of users are comfortable with letting a friend or family manage their iCloud data after their demise through the Digital Legacy feature, but most users (71%) would want control over what type of data is shared
- Browsing history (27.3%), messages (16.4%), Keychain passwords (13.7%), purchase history (12.1%), and credit card information (9.2%) topped the list of data not to be shared with a legacy contact
Triskaidekaphobia: 74% would prefer a different name than iPhone 13:
As the number ’13’ is considered unlucky in many cultures, we asked more than 3000 Apple users whether superstition would stop them from buying an iPhone 13, and the responses were:
- One in five iPhone and iPad users (18.3%) revealed they would be put off by the ‘iPhone 13’ moniker
- Men (24.9%) are about twice as likely to be affected by triskaidekaphobia than women (11.7%)
- Whereas 81.7% said it wouldn’t affect their purchase decisions
As a follow-up, we asked the respondents to pick a name that they think best suits the upcoming iPhone lineup, and here are the results:
- Surprisingly, ‘iPhone (2021)’ is the most popular pick as a whopping 38% would like iPhones to follow the same naming convention as Macbooks or iPads and do away with the model numbers
- Meanwhile, 26% said they would prefer Apple stick to their current naming convention and call it ‘iPhone 13’
- 16% want Apple to follow its rival Samsung when naming flagship smartphones and selected ‘iPhone 21’ as the most fitting name for 2021 iPhones
- 13% would like to see the ‘S’ suffix make a comeback with the next iPhone range (‘iPhone 12S’), while a mere 7% wish Apple would skip the number ’13’ altogether and jump straight to ‘iPhone 14’
64% would rather wait for 2021 iPhones to launch before considering an upgrade:
“If you are considering upgrading from an older iPhone, would you rather wait for the new model to come out or buy an iPhone 12 instead?”, we asked this question to the same set of respondents in an attempt to gauge interest in the upcoming iPhones.
- Nearly two in three Apple users (64%) would wait for the new iPhone models to come out before making a decision
- 36% would instead get an iPhone 12 outright if an upgrade is due
Apple users are not very excited about iOS and iPadOS 15 updates:
On a scale of 1 to 5, with ‘1’ being “extremely excited” and ‘5’ being “not at all excited,” the respondents were then asked to rate how excited they are about the new iOS/iPadOS updates, and the responses were:
- Only a mere 19.3% were “extremely” or “very” excited about the software update.
- 28.1% rated it “somewhat” exciting, while a majority (52.6%) of Apple users think the new software releases are only “slightly” or “not at all” exciting.
Next, we asked Apple users to pick one feature of the iOS/iPadOS 15 update that they like the best, and these were the responses (in order of votes received):
- Upgraded wallet app with support for storing ID cards – 23%
- Enhanced search functionality of Spotlight – 17.3%
- New ‘Find My’ feature to track switched-off or factory-erased devices – 14.2%
- SharePlay feature that lets you share media over FaceTime calls – 10.1%
- Live Text feature that extracts text from images – 9%
- FaceTime app improvements (spatial audio, screen sharing, grid view, portrait mode, etc.) – 6.1%
- Revamped notifications and Focus tool to reduce distractions – 4%
- ‘FaceTime support for non-Apple devices through link sharing’ – 3.5%
- Redesigned Safari browser that supports web extensions – 3.1%
- More privacy features including offline Siri and Mail Privacy Protection – 3%
- Easier multitasking on iPad with a menu button and shelf feature – 2.2%
- iMessage improvements, including ‘Shared with You’ feature – 0.9%
- Digital Legacy feature to designate an heir for your iCloud data – 1.4%
- Other – 1.1%
- Updated Health app with fall-risk metric, secure data sharing, etc. – 0.7%
- Improved Apple Maps with more transit details and AR directions – 0.4%
When asked what feature is missing in iOS/iPadOS 15 update that should have been included, these were the responses (in order of votes received):
- Addition of interactive widgets – 32.3%
- Always-on display for time and notifications – 21%
- Pro Tools (Xcode, Final Cut Pro, etc.) on iPad – 14.9%
- Better external display support for iPad – 13.2%
- Support for multiple user accounts – 8%
- Split-screen multitasking capabilities on iPhone – 5.4%
- App lock feature using Face ID/passcode – 3.1%
- Other – 2.1%
A majority of Apple users intend to use the ‘Digital Legacy’ feature, but many would prefer control over what data is to be shared:
‘Digital Legacy’ is a new feature in iOS/iPadOS 15 that, as the name suggests, lets you designate an heir to access your iCloud data in the event of your demise.
A person will need a “trusted” Apple ID, an access key (generated as you add a legacy contact), and a copy of the death certificate to gain access to your data, which will not include credit card information and passwords stored in Keychain.
We asked the Apple users whether they would be comfortable having a friend or family as a legacy contact, and we found out:
- A majority of users (53.1%) approved of the idea of having a legacy contact for their iCloud data.
- Women were found to be slightly more comfortable with the idea of leaving their data with loved ones than men (51% vs 55%).
- However, 46.9% responded negatively to the question.
When asked whether they would want control over what type of data (photos, videos, files, messages, etc.) is to be made available to their legacy contact, the respondents revealed:
- As many as 71% of users would want control over the data shared with a legacy contact.
- A relatively lower 29% responded negatively to the question.
‘Browsing history’ and ‘Messages’ tops the list of data not to be passed on to legacy contacts:
To those who responded “yes” to having control over data shared with a legacy contact, we asked a follow-up question, “If given an option, what data would you choose NOT to share with a legacy contact?” and these were the responses (in order of votes received):
- Browsing history – 27.3%
- Messages – 16.4%
- Keychain passwords – 13.7%
- Purchase history – 12.1%
- Credit card information – 9.2%
- Contacts and call logs – 5.9%
- Emails – 5.6%
- Health data – 3.4%
- App data – 1.7%
- Files – 1.5%
- Videos – 1.2%
- Device settings – 0.8%
- Other – 0.7%
- Photos – 0.5%
Conclusion:
Triskaidekaphobia (fear of number ’13’) could stop one in five Apple users (18.3%) from buying an iPhone 13, the survey reveals.
Although a majority seem unbothered by the superstition, most of Apple users (74%) would prefer next-gen iPhones to take on a different name than iPhone 13, with ‘iPhone (2021)’ being the clear winner at 38%.
A majority of iPhone and iPad users (52.6%) are “slightly” or “not at all” excited about the new iOS/iPadOS 15 software, with an additional 28.1% revealing they are only “somewhat” excited.
Upgraded wallet app that now stores identity cards, improved search functionality of Spotlight, tracking switched-off or erased devices, SharePlay for sharing media over FaceTime calls, and LiveText to extract text from images are among the most liked features of iOS/iPadOS 15.
Meanwhile, interactive widgets, always-on display, pro tools (Xcode, Final Cut Pro, etc.) for iPad, and better external display support for iPad are among the top missing features in the new software release.
While more than half (53.1%) wouldn’t mind their heir taking over iCloud data after their death, most users (71%) would want control over what data is shared through the new Digital Legacy feature.
Browsing history (27.3%), messages (16.4%), Keychain passwords (13.7%), purchase history (12.1%), and credit card information (9.2%) topped the list of data to be excluded from sharing with a legacy contact.
It is worth noting that the Digital Legacy feature restricts legacy contacts from viewing payment information and Keychain logins, along with other data including subscriptions and licensed media.
Survey Methodology:
The report is based on an online survey – conducted between June 10-15, 2021 – involving more than 3000 Apple iPhone and iPad users, aged 18 years or older, based in the United States. Survey-takers were split evenly between men and women.
The responses to the survey were collected without storing any personally identifiable information of the involved respondents.
The motive of the survey was to gauge user opinion on Apple’s upcoming iPhone lineup and to study what users think of the recently unveiled iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 software.