The results of a HarrisX poll measuring peoples’ reactions to the new iPhone models are out, and 9to5Mac has a roundup of the highlights which include the fact that almost half of the respondents were excited by what Apple has started shipping out this week.
What’s also interesting to note about this poll, especially when you look deeper into the results, is how it almost becomes a kind of Rorschach test for the way you feel about the iPhone maker. The results herein say one thing or another, depending on the pre-existing attitudes about the company you bring to the table.
You could look, for example, at the fact that among respondents to the poll (which was carried out among 1,001 adults) around 26 percent described the new iPhone models as “exciting” and another 22 percent “innovative” as a sign Apple hasn’t lost its touch. That the conventional wisdom which says Apple’s not as good at exciting people anymore as it used to be — you can point to these results and say, see, more than a decade after the iPhone was born Apple can still prove the doubters wrong.
Or you can go the glass half empty route and counter that with, well, half of people in this poll also do not feel that way. Among the half of respondents who didn’t report warm and fuzzy feelings about the new models, around 25 percent had specifically negative things to say. Nine percent called the launch of the new models “boring.” Another nine percent confessed to feeling underwhelmed, while 5 percent said it was confusing and 2 percent said they were disappointed.
“The largest single group of respondents, at 28%, said that the launch was ‘as expected,’” 9to5Mac notes, “indicating that Apple had failed to pull any notable surprises out of the hat this year.
“The poll found there was some sticker-shock. When those planning to upgrade their phone this year were informed or reminded of the price, there was a marked reduction in the number who said they were likely to buy the iPhone XS. For both the iPhone XS and the XS Max, there was an 11% reduction in those who said they still planned to buy.”
The site goes on to note that some 30 percent of people who intended to upgrade said they would choose the XR against 24% for the XS and 23% for the XS Max.
Bottom line: If you think Apple hasn’t really lost a beat under Tim Cook’s leadership, you can find some data here to underscore your belief. And if you think Apple’s best days are behind it, you can, well, find some data here to underscore your belief.
