These days having a mobile phone is as common as owning a pair of shoes. Everybody has one if not two. But if that these shoes get worn and become un-wearable for some reason or another (unfashionable! god forbid), what motivates the consumer when buying new ones?
When people set out to buy a phone they’re looking for a phone that directly suits their own personal needs.
These needs could be Cost, Technology (features), Style, Image (very importantJ) Size, Memory etc.
The other day I brought grandma Pixel out shopping for a mobile phone. She told me she wanted two things; firstly, that she could hear the phone ring and secondly that she could see the numbers on the screen.
These old people and their extravagant demands! That was it, no need for a camera, video, TV, games. Nada. Now here was a woman with simple tastes!
A loud ringtone and a big screen was all she wanted, you’d think that would be easy enough to find?
I was sorely mistaken. It was nearly impossible to find a phone in the shop without a camera, or Bluetooth or any other super duper feature that phones these days have embedded in them. She ended up settling for a Nokia 6101, with its big buttons and enlarged screen. (Mind you I personally think it was the bubblegum pink cover that sold her!)
But although Grandma Pixel is in her 80’s, is she typical of a trend?
According to a UK report by Continental Research a large majority (68%) of mobile users agreed with the statement that they would prefer a more basic mobile phone that was simple to use and affordable. It’s not just the UK either, in the US there is a large segment who just want free basic phones. According to a report from J.D. Power and Associates,(May 2007) Americans are keeping their phones an average of 17.5 months. That means that people are opting against the latest technology. Do people care about high tech? Well, not that many since over one-third of Americans opt for the cheap-o free phone.
So why is economy and simplicity reining over innovation and technology?
The novelty of having a mobile phone has worn off. Mobile phones are no longer luxury items, they are necessities. To gain street cred it used to be crucial to have a top of the line handset with the latest gizmo on it. Nokia kicked this off with its changeable covers and snake. Then came the camera phone, another must have. Nowadays we are confronted by a wealth of handsets boasting so many different features that unless the consumer is techno learned he/she will end up feeling totally overwhelmed. And that’s before you ever read the user manual.
Continental Research’s report showed that only a quarter of mobile owners would pay more for the latest in mobile technology. A similar number are prepared to pay more for a phone that looks stylish.
So what is the other 75% basing their choice of a new mobile phone on?
Personally I prefer a phone with a decent camera and a nice keypad to make it easy to play games on .But what do others want from their phones?
Back to Continental Research again and they report that the most common use of phones is sending SMS text messages. In second place is downloading ringtones. For these requirements you don’t exactly need a high spec phone!
Mobile phones are becoming disposable luxuries. Their shelf life lasting about 1 to 2 years at most before it’s stolen/it falls down the toilet/screen breaks/ it becomes too embarrassing to use in company or it gets that one last fatal drop that puts the final nail in the mobile phone’s coffin for ever.
Grandma Pixel’s certainly not going to spend her precious pension money on frivolous features whose longevity may not match her own.
When people set out to buy a phone they’re looking for a phone that directly suits their own personal needs.
These needs could be Cost, Technology (features), Style, Image (very importantJ) Size, Memory etc.
The other day I brought grandma Pixel out shopping for a mobile phone. She told me she wanted two things; firstly, that she could hear the phone ring and secondly that she could see the numbers on the screen.
These old people and their extravagant demands! That was it, no need for a camera, video, TV, games. Nada. Now here was a woman with simple tastes!
A loud ringtone and a big screen was all she wanted, you’d think that would be easy enough to find?
I was sorely mistaken. It was nearly impossible to find a phone in the shop without a camera, or Bluetooth or any other super duper feature that phones these days have embedded in them. She ended up settling for a Nokia 6101, with its big buttons and enlarged screen. (Mind you I personally think it was the bubblegum pink cover that sold her!)
But although Grandma Pixel is in her 80’s, is she typical of a trend?
According to a UK report by Continental Research a large majority (68%) of mobile users agreed with the statement that they would prefer a more basic mobile phone that was simple to use and affordable. It’s not just the UK either, in the US there is a large segment who just want free basic phones. According to a report from J.D. Power and Associates,(May 2007) Americans are keeping their phones an average of 17.5 months. That means that people are opting against the latest technology. Do people care about high tech? Well, not that many since over one-third of Americans opt for the cheap-o free phone.
So why is economy and simplicity reining over innovation and technology?
The novelty of having a mobile phone has worn off. Mobile phones are no longer luxury items, they are necessities. To gain street cred it used to be crucial to have a top of the line handset with the latest gizmo on it. Nokia kicked this off with its changeable covers and snake. Then came the camera phone, another must have. Nowadays we are confronted by a wealth of handsets boasting so many different features that unless the consumer is techno learned he/she will end up feeling totally overwhelmed. And that’s before you ever read the user manual.
Continental Research’s report showed that only a quarter of mobile owners would pay more for the latest in mobile technology. A similar number are prepared to pay more for a phone that looks stylish.
So what is the other 75% basing their choice of a new mobile phone on?
Personally I prefer a phone with a decent camera and a nice keypad to make it easy to play games on .But what do others want from their phones?
Back to Continental Research again and they report that the most common use of phones is sending SMS text messages. In second place is downloading ringtones. For these requirements you don’t exactly need a high spec phone!
Mobile phones are becoming disposable luxuries. Their shelf life lasting about 1 to 2 years at most before it’s stolen/it falls down the toilet/screen breaks/ it becomes too embarrassing to use in company or it gets that one last fatal drop that puts the final nail in the mobile phone’s coffin for ever.
Grandma Pixel’s certainly not going to spend her precious pension money on frivolous features whose longevity may not match her own.
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