In the upcoming festive season, 42% of the surveyed people are looking to buy a premium smartphone (Rs 30,00 and above) with preference for brands like Samsung and Apple, according to a report by Counterpoint.
Of those planning to purchase a smartphone this festive season, 86% of respondents are considering buying phones online with Amazon being the top preferred online channel. 5G, latest processor and memory are the top specifications that the respondents will consider when making the purchase, the report said.
While Counterpoint conducted the survey in Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to capture a sample size of more than 1,200 respondents, it said that the survey was commissioned by Amazon India to understand people’s smartphone purchase preferences this festive season.
“With the smartphone becoming the most important electronic gadget, consumers are cautious about its quality and features. That is why they consult multiple sources before making the purchase while increasingly opting for premium smartphones,” said Arushi Chawla, senior analyst at Counterpoint.
When asked about the top preferred smartphone brand, Samsung was at the top with 33%, followed by Apple (18%), Xiaomi (11%) and OnePlus (10%). Reasons cited by people for preferring Amazon to buy smartphones include reliable delivery, availability of latest devices, delivery speed and attractive offers. The survey covered topics like key reasons for making the purchase, brand preference, preferred price point, desired specifications and offers.
“It is interesting to see that 20% of the respondents prefer switching to online platforms from offline modes, with the top reason for 43% of this segment being the availability of the latest devices,” said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint. “During the festive season, the OEMs and platforms aim to attract buyers with competitive offers. We expect this festive season to be better than last year,” Pathak added.
Lately, Amazon has been seeing a double digit growth in the premium smartphone segment especially from tier 2 and beyond cities.
“It will be easier than ever before to upgrade to 5G, curved displays, fast processors, foldable screens, and other cutting-edge tech,” said Ranjit Babu, director wireless and TV at Amazon India. Last year, over 1 million customers bought smartphones for the first time on Amazon.in. More than 80% of that demand came from Tier 2+ cities, Babu added.