iPhone 13 purchase intent survey suggests 44% of users plan to upgrade

Iphone 13 Render Camera Closup
Iphone 13 Render Camera Closup (Image credit: Concept Creator)

Iphone 13 Bronze

Iphone 13 Bronze (Image credit: EverythingApplePro)

What you need to know

  • A survey of 3,000 iPhone users suggests that 44% will upgrade to iPhone 13 this fall.
  • Improvements to the display were chosen as the most exciting rumored features.
  • The survey also revealed that one in five iPhone owners are afraid of the number 13.

It's going to be a bumper year for iPhone upgrades, according to a purchase intent survey by SellCell. According to the survey, 44% of current iPhone users plan to upgrade to the iPhone 13 when it is released this fall with the 6.1-inch model appearing to be the most popular choice.

Of the 3,000 U.S.-based iPhone owners polled, 43.7% said they plan to switch to the iPhone 13, up 2.7% on SellCell's iPhone 12 purchase intent survey from last year.

SellCell also asked those who plan to upgrade which model they intent to buy, assuming the iPhone 13 will come in the same four sizes that that iPhone 12 does.

The 6.1-inch iPhone 13 came out on top with 38.2% of the vote with the largest iPhone 13 Pro Max coming in a close second at 30.2%. The smaller iPhone 13 Pro got 24% of the votes with the iPhone 13 mini only being eyed up by 7% of those planning to upgrade, according to the data.

We're expecting the iPhone 13 mini to be Apple's last crack at the small flagship following reports of low demand and slow sales of the current iPhone 12 mini. This SellCell survey certainly backs that narrative up.

U.S. iPhone users were also asked to pick one rumored feature they are most excited to see in the next model. A higher refresh-rate 120Hz display came out on top with 22% of respondents choosing that feature. Other display-related features like under-display Touch ID, always-on display, and a smaller notch also picked up a lot of votes from prospective buyers.

Another interesting tidbit uncovered by the poll is that close to one in five iPhone users surveyed identify as triskaidekaphobic — fear of number 13. A huge 74% of respondents would prefer a different name than iPhone 13 for the next-gen models.

When asked about other upcoming Apple products, over 27% of those polled stated that they intend to buy the Apple Watch Series 7 with just shy of 13% wanting to snag a set of 3rd-gen AirPods.

Are you wanting to ensure you are still using the best iPhone this fall or will you stick with your current device? Let us know in the comments.

Adam Oram

Adam Oram is a Senior Writer at iMore. He studied Media at Newcastle University and has been writing about technology since 2013. He previously worked as an Apple Genius and as a Deals Editor at Thrifter. His spare time is spent watching football (both kinds), playing Pokémon games, and eating vegan food. Follow him on Twitter at @adamoram.