Most Indians Want to Switch to a New Smartphone in 12 Months: Counterpoint

Two out of three consumers in India want to switch to a new phone within the next 12 months with features like 4G VoLTE support and better memory and battery, a report by Counterpoint Research on Wednesday said.

"As per the survey, two in three users plan to upgrade to a new mobile phone in the next 12 months. This is a departure from an average of 24-30 months to under 20 months upgrade cycle," the report said.

The acceleration in intent to upgrade sooner is influenced by factors like users looking for devices with 4G LTE capability, mainly driven by Reliance Jio's VoLTE-only network.

Also, many users are looking for a phone with better memory, storage or battery capacity as smartphones have become central to their lives, it added.

The report also found almost one in three respondents saying they were considering phones with a fingerprint sensor and better front facing selfie cameras as key features in their next purchase.

It also found respondents stating that online reviews of a product have become the most important source of information for their pre-purchase research. Besides, seven out of 10 respondents said they considered online stores as their preferred point of purchase.

"Aggressive 4G offerings from free-trials to one of world's lowest priced 4G data plans bundled with bouquet of applications and content services, Jio has driven the purchase intention strongly in its favour in just six months," Counterpoint Research Associate Director Tarun Pathak said.

The report surveyed over 1,500 respondents in the country to understand mobile user behaviour, usage patterns, preferences and factors influencing purchase decisions.