If I'm not mistaken this is another of this fellow's columns based on not easily verifiable data.
In the first place, he does not cite the CNN story that contains these figures. Nor can I find any such story on CNN. He does imply that this is a result contained in a study by the Yankee Group, a market research firm. And there is a Yankee Group study of cell phone users. Unfortunately, accessing the report costs $1495. and I'm not willing to spend that to look at the actual data.
Edit: Found the CNN article. Unfortunately, other than simply stating what the author quotes, there is nothing to place the finding in context. Thus, the comments below still stand.
However, even without seeing it and having done market research for a number of years, I'd say the following.
() Not all market research is created equal and without knowing anything more about the sample and methodology, it is simply ludicrous to draw any conclusion, whatsoever, from its results.
() Apple loyalty is not surprising. If Apple made a car or a toilet brush, it would sell. The brand is probably the strongest in the US.
() Beyond that, however, asking consumers about their intentions in hypothetical situations is fraught with error. It comes down to this. People can provide reliable information about their intentions and behavior when they confront situations in the real world. Otherwise, they are notoriously bad at estimating how they would behave in a situation they don't yet confront and haven't considered until asked about it in a survey question.
All in all, this guy's columns aren't bad because he's an apple fanboy. They're bad because he apparently knows nothing about the market research he's citing and isn't prepared to provide a source.
