Survey: Convenience tops smartphone feature

Kirkland, Wash. -- Consumers actually favor ease-of-use more than the latest device specifications, with many intimidated by jargon and technical data, when choosing a new smartphone.



A new survey from WDS, a Xerox company, also shows that a physical retail store remains the most popular destination for purchasing a new smartphone. Sixty-seven percent of consumers treat it as their primary destination while only 19% of buyers older 60 would buy their device online.



Other notable findings include:

• Buyers between 25-34 years old and those older than 60 are the most likely groups to research and evaluate smartphones before visiting a store.

• More than a third of shoppers younger than 24 will walk into a store knowing the exact make and model of device they want to purchase.

• The importance of device brand declines with age.

• Sixty-one percent of consumers stated that having the latest product specifications was of little importance when choosing their smartphone.

• Network coverage and service reliability is considered more important than network speed by all age groups.

• Consumers older than 60 are the most price sensitive when it comes to choosing a price plan. They are also the least interested in network speeds.

“We’ve interviewed hundreds of consumers to help mobile operators better understand how their customers navigate their way through the complexity of choosing a smartphone,” said Tim Deluca-Smith, VP of marketing at WDS. “The study highlights some important buying behaviors that will help mobile operators deliver a better retail experience.”