Smartphone use in Switzerland: Apple most popular
The Comparis smartphone study shows that Apple has the highest market share, that smartphones are being used for longer and longer, and that people are willing to pay more for a new smartphone.
19.03.2026
iStock / Lucia Gajdosikova
1. What is the smartphone study about?
The smartphone study focuses on smartphone use in Switzerland. For example, it looks at which smartphone brands respondents use and how often they buy a new phone.
The results at a glance:
Apple is the market leader in Switzerland: 49.3% of those surveyed use an iPhone. Samsung takes second place with a market share of 37.2%. Less than 5% of users choose any of the other smartphone brands.
Swiss people use their smartphone their smartphone for longer on average than in 2020.
More and more people have been using their main device for at least four years.
Android users are generally more satisfied with their smartphones than Apple users.
Comparis Smartphone Study
This representative survey was carried out by market research institute Innofact on behalf of Comparis in December 2025, and involved 2’091 participants from across Switzerland.
Read the full study with further detailed analyses.
Recommended by our subject-matter experts: How do you use your smartphone?
Take the survey and find out how you compare to the Swiss average.
2. Apple’s iPhones have the highest market share
The market share of Apple in Switzerland is 49.3%. This means that almost half of people in Switzerland use the iOS operating system. In 2020, the share was 44.8%, i.e. 4.5 percentage points lower.
In affluent Switzerland, the high prices of iPhones and the lack of an entry-level Apple model play a less significant role than in neighbouring countries.
In second place in terms of market share Samsung at 37.2%. Thus, Apple and Samsung together cover a large part of the market. The following brands occupy the remaining positions:
Xiaomi: 3.2%
Google: 2.2%
Oppo: 1.8%
Huawei: 1.6%
Sony: 0.8%
3. Longer use of smartphones
Due to the increased prices of smartphones, 65% of respondents use their smartphones for longer. In 2020, the proportion was 53.7%.
There is a marked difference between the language regions. In French-speaking Switzerland, 76.3% use their smartphone for longer, and in Italian-speaking Switzerland, the figure is as high as 79.7%. In contrast, in German-speaking Switzerland, the figure is only 60.3%.
Thanks to better and longer provision of software updates, smartphones can now be used for longer than they could a few years ago.
Longer smartphone usage is reflected in the figures
The results also show that already 15.7% of those surveyed have been using their main device for at least four years. This represents an increase of 2.6 percentage points compared to 2023 and as much as 6.8 percentage points compared to 2020.
In this regard, the operating system no role: the proportion of iOS and Android users is the same. However, more people on low and middle incomes use their smartphone for more than four years than people on a high income of over 8’000 francs.
4. More money for new smartphones than in 2020
On average, respondents plan to spend 574 francs for a new smartphone – in 2020, the average was 517 francs. There are clear differences between the sexes: men budget 615 francs for their new smartphone, while women budget only 534 francs.
Age also makes a difference Age also makes a difference in terms of willingness to pay:
People aged 18 to 35 plan to spend 628 francs on their new smartphone.
People aged 36 to 55 would like to spend, on average, 563 francs on their new mobile phone.
People aged 56 and over plan to spend 529 francs spend the least money on their new smartphone.
Also operating system makes a difference: at CHF 708, Apple users are willing to spend significantly more than Android users, who are willing to spend CHF 452.
5. Android users are more satisfied than Apple users
The survey shows that only 38.8% of smartphone users are satisfied with their current device. However, satisfaction also depends on the brand. At 34.1%, Apple users are significantly less likely to be completely satisfied than Android users, at 42.8%.
Users complain most about the battery life. This is a problem for 25.7% of respondents. However, this is 3.6 percentage points less than in 2020. The camera quality is often a problem too – more often for Android users (12.6%) than for Apple users (7.7%). Overall, for almost 10% of respondents, the storage space is not enough.
6. Tips for consumers
You can save money, for example, by having your smartphone repaired, instead of buying a new one. Thanks to longer software updates and improved quality, you can use your smartphone for several years. A battery replacement is also often worthwhile if your device doesn’t cause you any other problems.
If you do need a new phone, though, you should compare prices. You can also check whether an older model would meet your needs. Also, try to realistically assess your actual storage needs and the total cost.
This also includes a mobile plan – and you can save on that by comparing deals and adjusting the benefits.
This article was first published on 28.10.2021
