Indian Smartphone Buyers Prioritise Durability, Long-Term Reliability Over Specifications, Study Finds

Smartphone buyers in India no longer prioritise flashy specifications or aggressive launch pricing while purchasing their next device. According to a new study, three factors have emerged: durability, reliability, and affordability, which are increasingly influencing purchasing decisions and long-term brand loyalty. The study suggests that Indian consumers are placing more importance on factors like sustained real-world performance, battery longevity, and dependable after-sales experiences over short-term advantages in hardware.

Shift Towards Durable Smartphones

CyberMedia Research (CMR) surveyed 2,086 smartphone and feature phone users aged between 18 and 35 years across 13 Indian cities, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Lucknow, Coimbatore, Bhubaneswar, Mysuru, Gangtok, and Nashik.

According to the findings, 87 percent of smartphone users say durability directly impacts their decision to switch brands. Battery reliability emerged as the most important factor influencing perceived durability, cited by 87 percent of respondents, followed closely by call quality at 84 percent.

The study also revealed that battery degradation over time is becoming one of the most prominent reasons consumers move away from a smartphone brand. Around 70 percent of respondents highlighted deteriorating battery performance as a major trigger for switching brands. Poor build quality, meanwhile, followed closely at 60 percent. These concerns reportedly ranked ahead of pricing issues or missing features. A 59 percent chunk of users were found to recognise strong build quality as a key differentiator, and 47 percent acknowledge after-sales support.

Prabhu Ram, Vice President of Industry Research Group (IRG) at CMR, said, “Consumers are increasingly evaluating devices not only on upfront specifications and pricing, but on sustained real-world performance across the ownership lifecycle.”

CMR noted that hardware issues remain widespread among users. Around 28 percent of those surveyed reported experiencing screen damage during their handset's normal lifespan, while 28 percent faced water damage-related issues. Overheating problems were reported by 27 percent of users surveyed.

Instead of focusing solely on physical toughness, younger consumers, including Gen Z, associate durability with consistent long-term performance, stable battery life, reliable connectivity, smooth software experience, and responsive day-to-day usage.

“Battery longevity, build quality, reliability, and after-sales support are emerging as critical drivers of brand trust and retention,” the CMR official added.

In the sub-Rs. In the 10,000 smartphone segment, itel ranked highest in CMR's Durability Index with a score of 0.86. Samsung followed with a score of 0.79, while Vivo secured the third position with a score of 0.72.