Smartphone Market Continues to Mature

As we watch the growth of smartphones sales it has been clear that this has not been solely a hardware related issue. The mobile applications and features available on the various systems are as much or more a part of the decision process than the hardware itself. Mobile application developers have helped push the industry as well.

“When asked about the main reason behind a handset choice, functionality comes up as the most important factor. Between 44% and 48% of buyers, depending on market, are more interested in functionality than the actual brand of a phone” states Chris Smith, BGR.

According to a new whitepaper from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, in the U.S., smartphone market penetration stood at 55 percent in the first quarter of 2014 and smartphone sales were 76 percent of all mobile phone sales.

This is generally a sophisticated market that does its homework.  “As much as US consumers can be familiar with the term ‘smartphone,’” the report mentions, “they still do their due diligence before purchasing their devices. Only 30% of buyers in Q1 2014 did not conduct any research before buying a smartphone.”

For the 70 percent of consumers who do research prior to their purchase, personal recommendations and advice are huge influences, “One fifth of consumers interacted with store sales assistants before going back into a store to buy, and one quarter sought advice from friends.”