With the trend of technology and what the internet has to give, smartphones have become the very way for many people to communicate and connect.
To meet this billions-of-dollar market, smartphone manufacturers are racing against time to deliver the best of the best, to include the newest technologies and design, and blending them with premium materials and tons of marketing campaigns.
Wooing potential buyers, manufacturers are also getting better in what they do.
But what goes around, comes around. The advantages of new phones with their sophistication, come with disadvantages that led to lesser people willing to purchase new phones at each coming year.
According to a study that gathered responses from 3,640 smartphone users, more than half of them plan to keep their current device for three to five more years.
This study confirms manufacturers fear, especially Apple and Samsung which both own most of the market.
A few years back, people rushed to their nearest store to buy the greatest phones from their favorite brand.
But as these manufacturers are getting better in creating quality phones, as well as the slow down of mobile development technologies and improvements in battery capacity, cameras, design, next-generation connection, etc., people start to be more patient.
Consumers are becoming more willing to wait for another year (or more) between upgrades.
Despite phone providers like Samsung and Apple consistently releasing new, flashy smartphones, the report suggests that smartphone users tend to prioritize practicality over having the newest technology.
Only 10% of users said that they upgraded their phone because there was a new model they really wanted.
According to Andrew Moore-Crispin, Director of Content at Ting Mobile, who conducted the study:
"The data from our survey indicates that people are more conscious about things like price and basic phone functionality. They don’t care so much about having the latest, coolest tech — something that might not be great news for the big manufacturers this year."
In the past years, consumers are more likely to stick to the standard of purchasing a new phone every two years. In the study, it was revealed that 55% of respondents plan to keep their phones for up to 5 years. A lesser 47% percent said that they kept their previous phone for more at least three years.
Of those surveyed, only 15% upgraded their last phone before the two year mark.