iPhone Users vs Android users is a rivalry as old as smartphones, themselves. Of course, as with any good old fashioned rivalry, different characteristics, behaviors, and preferences between these two groups have emerged over time. And while we could spend quite some time digging into the memes and conversations surrounding the topic, we’re breaking down their preferences in AI messages. 

We’ve created a full guide breaking down what makes great email subject lines for iPhone users vs Android users, but in this blog post, we’re going to tell the story of their messaging preferences through visual mediums. Scroll on to explore the following differences across iPhone users vs Android users: 

• How they think about AI-generated content 
• How frequently each group checks text and email 
• What retail categories these groups spend money on
• How each group interacts with ALL CAPS copy
• Which locations prefer longer and shorter content 
• How each group engages with different emotions

With major updates from iOS 18 on the horizon, and some of its changes similar to features already implemented by Gmail, it’s best for marketers to learn how to hyper-target their audiences via segmentation. Segmenting by device type is possible on Backstroke’s email subject line generator, as it’s trained on over 10k+ email marketing programs. 

So with that in mind, let’s dive into some of the data we’ve uncovered on iPhone users vs Android users to see what their creative and behavioral preferences are, when it comes to receiving marketing messaging.

iPhone Users vs Android Users: Engaging With AI-Generated Content

If you’re here, it’s likely that you’re part of the 83% of content marketers who plan to use AI content generation tools to assist with their work. And generally speaking, your audience is in on the idea too, as 62% of people say they're happy if generative AI is used in marketing, as long as it doesn't negatively impact their experience.

When breaking it down to the iPhone user vs. Android user level though, a Backstroke survey tells a different story. Respondents who use Androids reported that they are much more open-minded to engaging with marketing content that’s AI-generated, compared to iPhone users.

Now, that’s not to say that you should cease from using the technology when generating great subject lines or AI messages for iPhone people! You do, however, need to ensure your messages have a human touch! Check out our guide “4 Ways to Strike A Balance Between AI Optimization & Creativity” to learn how.

iPhone Users vs Android Users: How Frequently Do They Check Their Messages?

How frequently do your subscribers actually check their inboxes? Their texts? Interestingly, we see some differences in behaviors across iPhone users vs Android users. Android people check texts much more than iPhone people do. Meanwhile, both groups check email with nearly similar frequency, though iPhone users check their inboxes a little more often. 

Understanding the nuances between how frequently people check text and email allows marketers to generate AI messages with content that is optimized for said frequency. If someone’s in their inbox multiple times a day, Backstroke will craft content that is statistically more likely to stand out. 

How do we know how to do this? Backstroke’s proprietary data set runs deep, allowing our email subject line generator to understand the exact preferences of various subscriber segments. Because of this access to data, its outputs are highly specific, zeroing in on creative insights that solutions like ChatGPT simply can’t unearth. 

iPhone Users vs Android Users: What Retail Categories Do They Spend On?

Among their differing preferences in messaging, our analysis found that both groups have differences in how they spend and what they spend on.

For example, Android users are more likely to spend on pets, electronics, and toys/hobbies. iPhone users, on the other hand, are more likely to spend on health, beauty, fashion, and apparel categories, as the chart above shows.

iPhone Users vs Android Users: Who Clicks on ALL CAPS Content?

iPhone users are more likely to engage with subject lines that contain ALL CAPS. Meanwhile, Android users prefer title case 67% more than iPhone users. 

Interestingly, we see some generational preferences, when it comes to ALL CAPS vs title case content. Not only does Backstroke’s email subject line generator allow users to segment audiences by device type. It also allows users to segment by age, location, and more. 

To get a look at what creative messaging content Boomers, Zoomers (that’s Gen Z iykyk), Millennials and Gen X prefer, check out our guide on Personalized Subject Lines that Connect with Each Generation.

iPhone Users vs Android Users: Analyzing Messaging Preferences By Location

Now, we’ve covered messaging preferences by location on the blog before. In fact, you can check out our Midwest vs South and East vs West blog posts that detail the behaviors and preferences between these locales. 

So what happens when you examine messaging preferences of people within different locations and who use different devices?

Zooming out first, we see that on a national level, iPhone users and Android users feel similarly about brevity. However, when zooming into specific cities, we see different stories emerge. In this example, Bostonians with iPhones particularly LOVE brevity in their subject lines. While it may come as no surprise that urbanists on the East Coast love to keep things brief, the data reveals this location’s iPhone users prefer brevity twice as much as Android users. 

iPhone Users vs Android Users: How Do They Engage With Emotions in Email Content?

Finally, let’s take a look at what emotional sentiment gets iPhone users vs Android users to engage with email content. Our data shows that Androiders are more likely to engage with messages featuring negative emotions. And while they’re in their feels, iPhone people are less likely to respond with messaging containing these types of emotions. 

Great email subject lines will strike an emotional cord with subscribers, and Backstroke’s natural language processing understands what will tug at the heartstrings of different groups. 

To get an even deeper feel for how different subscriber segments respond to emotional content, check out our guide to generate Great Email Subject Lines for Introverts vs. Extroverts. But be prepared . . . things may get LOUD! Or stay a little quiet, depending on whom you generate content for.