Samsung is the most preferred brand for future smartphone purchases in the UK, followed by Apple and Huawei, according to the latest Consumer Lens survey. Chances of consumers shifting from Apple to Samsung are high as three-quarters of the current iPhone users count Samsung among their top three choices for a future purchase. On the other hand, Samsung users gave equal importance to the iPhone and Android alternatives. About half of the respondents are using a smartphone no more than a year old. Female respondents are holding their devices slightly longer than males while homemakers are the ones retaining their devices for the longest period among all categories.

Senior Analyst Pavel Naiya said: “Samsung took the lead with its latest SKUs and continuous promotion, whereas prospective iPhone buyers are mostly waiting for its first 5G device. Apple users give more importance to the rear camera than Samsung users. It may be a result of the Apple advertisements focusing on camera. Battery life, price and build quality are the three most influencing factors for future purchases.”

UK: Most preferred smartphone brand for future purchase

Note: Multi-response question
Source: Counterpoint Consumer Lens

An overwhelming majority (86%) of the respondents were concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic, with 37% stating that they would wait longer than usual for the next smartphone purchase. Students are the least affected by this. Three in four students see no change in the timeline for their planned purchase. The anti-China sentiment is not strong in the UK, with about half of the respondents saying it does not matter.

Research Associate Arushi Chawla said: “UK is one of the markets which were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the country managed to quickly control its spread with lockdowns and maintenance of social distancing. This is also reflected in consumer sentiment. Though most of the respondents are concerned about COVID-19, it will not affect their planned smartphone purchase. Two-thirds of the respondents are planning to spend as usual, whereas only 11% of them are interested in cutting their budget by 20% or more.”

Other key insights from the survey:

• Since it is an operator-driven market, operator stores are the most popular choice for the location of purchase, followed by mass merchandisers and brand stores.
• Operator stores are most popular among the respondents aged above 35 and least among the respondents aged below 25 or those who are unemployed. Brand stores are the most popular choice for iPhone users while the online mode is most popular for Huawei users.
• About one-fourth of the respondents are interested in spending £478 and above ($600 and above) for their next smartphone purchase.
• Cameras are more important for female respondents than males. They are also a distinctive feature for students to decide their next purchase.

If you are interested in a detailed analysis of smartphone consumer behaviour, it is available for the subscribers on our research portal.

Methodology:

The Consumer Lens survey was conducted among smartphone users in seven countries during May-June 2020. The consumer opinions are drawn from a heterogeneous group in terms of age, monthly income, gender and occupation. Data points abided with all the logical checks throughout the analysis section and gave a better representation of the ongoing smartphone trends and future purchase intentions.

Analyst Contacts:

Pavel Naiya

Arushi Chawla

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