Apple (AAPL) customers are famed for their loyalty, but it looks as though some of them may not be as fanatical as they’ve been in the past. New data from Strategy Analytics shows that 75% of iPhone owners in Western Europe said they would buy an Apple device for their next smartphone, versus 88% who said they’d buy an iPhone for their next device last year. iPhone user loyalty also dipped slightly in the United States, with 88% of iPhone owners saying they’d buy an Apple smartphone in the future, down from 93% last year. Paul Brown, the director at Strategy Analytics’ User Experience Practice, said that Apple’s loyalty numbers may have taken a hit because of “negative press prompted by a perceived lack of recent innovation.” Strategy Analytics’ press release is posted below.

Apple iPhone Owner Loyalty Declines

iPhone Repeat Purchase Intention Drops 13 points in Western Europe

Boston, MA – October 30, 2012 – For the first time since the Apple iPhone was released in 2007, the number of iPhone owners who say they definitely will or probably will purchase their next phone from the same brand has declined.

The recent Strategy Analytics Wireless Device Lab Report, iPhone Owner Loyalty Declines: Is Apple Losing its Innovation Edge?, found that only 75 percent of iPhone owners in Western Europe say they are likely to buy their next phone from Apple, down from 88 percent in 2011. US repeat purchase intentions have also seen a slight decline, down from 93 percent in 2011 to 88 percent in 2012.

“There is no doubt that Apple is continuing its success in retaining existing user base while attracting new customers,” commented Paul Brown, Director at Strategy Analytics’ User Experience Practice. “However, negative press prompted by a perceived lack of recent innovation by Apple has meant we are starting to see some growth in the number of previously highly loyal consumers who are now reconsidering whether or not they will purchase a new iPhone for their next device.”

Taryn Tulay, Analyst at Strategy Analytics’ Wireless Device Lab added, “Respondents who say they probably will or definitely will not buy their next phone from Apple is low. However, it is the shift in the number of those who are unsure whether they will remain with the same brand for their next phone that Apple should be concerned about.”