91mobiles Smartphone Buyer Insights Survey 2021
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The smartphone buyer insights survey conducted in March 2021 analyzed 15,000+ users in India, focusing on brand ownership, loyalty, and factors influencing smartphone purchases. Samsung emerged as the leading brand, followed by Xiaomi and Realme, while Apple and OnePlus demonstrated significant increases in customer loyalty. Performance/speed was identified as the most important attribute for purchasing decisions, with a notable interest in online purchasing and 5G capabilities among respondents.
91mobiles Smartphone Buyer Insights Survey 2021
- 1. Smartphone Buyer Insights Survey (March 2021) Voice of 15,000+ users India’s #1 Gadget Discovery Site
- 2. Objective of the survey Key questions asked Current brand ownership in the smartphone space How brand loyalties are shifting How people research for new smartphones How people prefer to buy new smartphones Popularity of smartphone brands by age and gender 1 2 3 4 5
- 3. Demographic split and methodology Demographic Split of Respondents Survey Methodology Gender: 81% men 19% women Age: 6% below 18 years 39% between 18 and 24 years 29% between 25 and 34 years 15% between 35 and 44 years 11% above 44 years Region: North 35% South 23% West 29% East 13% Survey was conducted via Google forms For response collection, survey was distributed on 91mobiles’ site and social channels Notes: 1) In this report, respondent data from 2020 has been compared with respondent data from 2021, where applicable, to analyse trends 2) For slides with more than one graph, please note each graph is set at its own scale
- 4. Trends in smartphone ownership
- 5. Smartphone brands people own today Samsung is leading the race with 23% people using its devices Breakup of smartphone brands owned by people currently Samsung, 22.8% Xiaomi, 21.5% Realme, 10.8% Vivo, 7.2% OnePlus, 7.1% Apple, 7.0% OPPO, 6.7% POCO, 2.8% Motorola, 2.7% Honor / Huawei, 2.3% ASUS, 1.7% Nokia, 1.6% Infinix, 0.7% Micromax, 0.6% Google, 0.5% Tecno, 0.4% Other, 3.7%
- 6. Samsung Apple 2.9% 7.0% Mar 2020 Mar 2021 % of people owning Apple devices 21.3% 22.8% Mar 2020 Mar 2021 % of people owning Samsung devices Smartphone brands with the highest gain in ownership share (From March 2020 to March 2021)
- 7. POCO OPPO 5.8% 6.7% Mar 2020 Mar 2021 % of people owning OPPO devices 1.7% 2.8% Mar 2020 Mar 2021 % of people owning POCO devices OnePlus 5.7% 7.1% Mar 2020 Mar 2021 % of people owning OnePlus devices Smartphone brands with the highest gain in ownership share (From March 2020 to March 2021)
- 8. Motorola Xiaomi 23.4% 21.5% Mar 2020 Mar 2021 % of people owning Xiaomi devices 4.0% 2.7% Mar 2020 Mar 2021 % of people owning Motorola devices Smartphone brands with the steepest decline in ownership share (From March 2020 to March 2021)
- 9. Nokia ASUS 2.6% 1.7% Mar 2020 Mar 2021 % of people owning ASUS devices 2.4% 1.6% Mar 2020 Mar 2021 % of people owning Nokia devices Smartphone brands with the steepest decline in ownership share (From March 2020 to March 2021)
- 10. Current brand preference: which smartphone brand people want to own next (whenever they upgrade in the next 1 to 2 years) Breakup of smartphone brands people plan to buy next Samsung, 22.8% Xiaomi, 15.8% OnePlus, 15.4% Realme, 12.7% Apple, 12.2% OPPO, 4.7% Vivo, 3.8% POCO, 3.1% Motorola, 1.9% ASUS, 1.4% Google, 1.2% Nokia, 0.9% Infinix, 0.6% Micromax, 0.6% Tecno, 0.2% Other, 2.7%
- 11. 6.4% 3.5% 0.8% 0.6% 0.3% 0.1% -0.8% -0.9% -1.2% -3.6% -4.1% Apple OnePlus Motorola OPPO ASUS POCO Nokia Samsung Vivo Realme Xiaomi Change in brand preference 2020 vs 2021 Which brand people said they want to own next whenever they upgrade their devices 5.8% 11.9% 1.1% 4.1% 1.1% 3.0% 1.7% 23.7% 5.0% 16.3% 19.9% 12.2% 15.4% 1.9% 4.7% 1.4% 3.1% 0.9% 22.8% 3.8% 12.7% 15.8% % change in the number of people who said they want to upgrade to the following brands when they next buy a new phone Preferred next brand in 2020 Preferred next brand in 2021
- 12. Recap o The brand with the highest share of users today: Samsung o Brands with the highest increase in ownership share from March 2020 to March 2021: Apple, Samsung, OPPO, OnePlus and POCO o Brands with the highest decrease in ownership share from March 2020 to March 2021: Xiaomi, Motorola, ASUS and Nokia o Most preferred brand today with the highest number of users saying they want to migrate to this brand when they upgrade next: Samsung o The brand with the highest jump in user preference from March 2020 to March 2021: Apple, followed by OnePlus o The brand with the highest fall in user preference from March 2020 to March 2021: Xiaomi, followed by Realme
- 13. Brand loyalty among smartphone users
- 14. Brand loyalty / customer retention Apple beats OnePlus as the brand with most loyal users % of people likely to buy from the same smartphone brand when they upgrade next 75% 67% 59% 52% 46% 40% 39% 30% 27% Apple OnePlus Samsung Realme Xiaomi POCO OPPO Vivo Motorola
- 15. Apple Motorola OPPO ASUS Samsung OnePlus POCO Nokia Realme Xiaomi Vivo 62% 17% 33% 22% 59% 67% 42% 28% 56% 51% 36% 75% 27% 39% 23% 59% 67% 40% 25% 52% 46% 30% Brand loyalty of current users in 2020 Brand loyalty of current users in 2021 Change in brand loyalty from last year Apple and Motorola saw a big jump, while Xiaomi and Vivo saw a big dip % change in number of current users who want to buy from the same brand again when they upgrade next 13% 10% 6% 1% 0% 0% -2% -3% -4% -5% -6%
- 16. How major brands will lose when users upgrade next Vivo users planning to switch to OnePlus 15.3% Samsung 12.6% Apple 9.8% Samsung users planning to switch to OnePlus 9.7% Apple 7.8% Xiaomi 7.0% Xiaomi users planning to switch to Samsung 13.3% OnePlus 12.2% Realme 9.8% Realme users planning to switch to OnePlus 12.6% Xiaomi 8.4% Samsung 8.2% OPPO users planning to switch to Samsung 14.3% OnePlus 11.5% Realme 10.1% OnePlus users planning to switch to Apple 13.6% Samsung 8.6% Xiaomi 2.4% Brand-wise % of people who wish to move to other brands from their current ones
- 17. Recap o The brands with the highest customer loyalty: Apple and OnePlus o Brands with the highest increase in customer loyalty from 2020 to 2021: Apple, Motorola and OPPO o Brands with the highest decrease in customer loyalty from 2020 to 2021: Vivo, Xiaomi and Realme
- 18. How people decide on a new smartphone
- 19. What is the main reason for you to buy a new smartphone for yourself? To own the latest or a better smartphone, 46.1% My current phone is no longer working as well as it used to, 33.9% To avail a good deal that I am getting on a new phone, 12.8% Other, 7.2% Primary reason for buying a new phone Almost 60% people buy a new phone just for an upgrade
- 20. Men are more likely to buy a new phone just for an upgrade compared to women 47% 37% Men Women % of people that buy a new phone just for an upgrade
- 21. How often do you end up changing your primary smartphone? Within 6 months, 9.5% 6 months to 1 year, 11.2% 1 year to 2 years, 26.9% After 2 years, 52.3% Frequency of smartphone upgrade Almost 50% people upgrade within 2 years, with 20% upgrading within a year
- 22. What is your primary source of information while deciding on a new phone? Check gadget websites (91mobiles, MySmartPrice, GSMArena, etc.), 37.2% Watch video reviews on YouTube, 26.7% Check e-commerce websites, 14.7% Visit offline store(s) to check options, 11.2% Ask friends and family members for recommendations, 10.1% How people decide on a new phone 64% people research a new phone on gadget sites or YouTube before going to the store
- 23. % of people that watch YouTube videos while deciding on a new phone 27% 21% Men Women Men are more likely to watch YouTube videos while deciding on a new phone compared to women
- 24. % of people that check gadget websites while deciding on a new phone 38% 33% Men Women Men are more likely to check gadget websites while deciding on a new phone compared to women
- 25. Recap o Almost 60% people buy a new phone just for an upgrade o Almost 50% people upgrade their phone within 2 years, with 20% upgrading within a year o 64% people research a new phone on gadget sites or YouTube o Men are more likely to visit gadget sites or watch reviews on YouTube before buying a new phone compared to women
- 26. Smartphone attributes that matter most to people while deciding a new phone
- 27. Which smartphone attribute is most important to you while deciding on a new phone? Performance / speed, 54.6% Brand name, 14.5% Camera, 14.5% Battery, 8.0% Design / looks, 5.4% Display, 3.0% Performance matters most to people while buying a new smartphone
- 28. % of people that said camera matters most while deciding on a new phone People below 35 years care more about camera while buying a new phone compared to older age groups 17% 16% 16% 12% 8% Below 18 years 18 to 24 years 25 to 34 years 35 to 44 Above 44 years
- 29. % of people that said performance/speed matters most while deciding on a new phone Men care more about performance/speed while buying a new phone compared to women 56% 41% Men Women
- 30. % of people that said camera matters most while deciding on a new phone 14% 27% Men Women Women care more about camera while buying a new phone compared to men
- 31. Which of these factors is most important for you while evaluating the performance of your next smartphone? Processor brand (Qualcomm Snapdragon, MediaTek, Exynos, etc), 47.8% RAM capacity (in GB), 25.9% Processor clock speed (in GHz), 18.4% Benchmark scores (AnTuTu, Geekbench, etc.), 7.9% How people evaluate a phone’s performance
- 32. % of people that said processor brand matters most while evaluating the performance of their next smartphone Men care more about processor brand while evaluating the performance of their next phone compared to women 49% 37% Men Women
- 33. % of people that said RAM capacity matters most while evaluating the performance of their next smartphone 24% 45% Men Women Women care more about RAM capacity while evaluating the performance of their next phone compared to men
- 34. Which of these is most important for you while evaluating the camera capabilities of your next smartphone? Resolution (measured in megapixels), 32.9% AI capabilities / software features, 21.5% Video capabilities (4k video, slow-mo, etc.), 20.8% Number of rear cameras, 9.3% Aperture (measured in f-number), 9.0% Selfie capabilities, 6.4% How people evaluate a phone’s camera capability
- 35. Which of these upcoming flagships are you most looking forward to? 33.7% 1.8% 3.1% 4.6% 7.4% 9.2% 11.2% 11.4% 17.6% Not interested in premium phones Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 / Samsung Z Fold 3 ASUS ROG Phone 5 POCO F3 Realme GT Samsung Galaxy Note 21 series Apple iPhone 13 series Xiaomi Mi 11 series OnePlus 9 series Upcoming flagship devices people are most excited about OnePlus 9 series tops the list
- 36. Which of these upcoming budget / mid-range smartphones are you most looking forward to? 36.7% 6.0% 8.1% 8.4% 9.5% 12.7% 18.5% Not interested in budget or mid-range smartphones Vivo X60 series OPPO F19 Google Pixel 5a Samsung Galaxy M62 Samsung Galaxy A52 Realme 8 series Upcoming mid-range devices people are most excited about Realme 8 series tops the list
- 37. Recap o 55% people said performance / speed of the phone is the most important aspect while buying a new phone o Men care more about performance while buying a new phone compared to women o Women care more about camera while buying a new phone compared to men o Almost 50% people consider processor's brand as the most important factor while evaluating a phone’s performance o 1 in 3 people consider megapixel count as the most important factor while evaluating a phone’s camera
- 38. How people prefer to purchase a new smartphone
- 39. How much did you pay for your current phone? Below ₹10,000, 19.1% Between ₹10,000 and ₹20,000, 50.9% Between ₹20,000 and ₹30,000, 16.5% More than ₹30,000, 13.5% Most popular price segment for smartphones 3 in 10 people own devices priced above ₹20k
- 40. Number of people owning phones priced above ₹20k have increased in 2021 compared to 2020 More than ₹20k, 26% Less than ₹20K, 74% How much did you pay for your current phone? 2020 2021 How much did you pay for your current phone? More than ₹20k, 30% Less than ₹20K, 70%
- 41. 84% people are planning to buy a new phone in 2021 Are you planning to buy a new phone this year? Yes, 83.6% Not sure, 10.3% No, 6.1%
- 42. Almost 90% people are considering buying a 5G phone next Would you buy a 5G phone in 2021? Yes, 55.6% Maybe / depends on the price, 31.6% No, 12.9%
- 43. Where people would prefer to buy a new phone if… Online and offline price are the same Online price is ₹1000 cheaper than offline Offline price is ₹1000 cheaper than online Online, 40.4% Offline, 32.9% Not sure, 26.7% Online, 58.3% Offline, 18.0% Not sure, 23.7% Online, 25.1% Offline, 43.9% Not sure, 30.9%
- 44. How would you pay for a new smartphone? Pay full amount upfront, 57.3% Buy it on EMI through bank credit / debit card, 23.9% Buy it on EMI through services like Bajaj Finserve / ZestMoney, 14.2% Other, 4.6% Preferred mode of payment for a new smartphone Almost 4 in 10 people would opt for EMIs
- 45. % of people that would prefer to buy a new phone on EMI through bank credit / debit card 17% 21% 27% 28% 23% Below 18 years 18 to 24 years 25 to 34 years 35 to 44 Above 44 years People between 25 and 44 years are more likely to buy a new phone on EMI using a bank’s debit / credit card compared to other age groups
- 46. % of people that would prefer to buy a new phone through cardless EMI services like Bajaj Finserv / Zestmoney 11% 13% 16% 15% 12% Below 18 years 18 to 24 years 25 to 34 years 35 to 44 Above 44 years People between 25 and 44 years are more likely to buy a new phone using cardless EMI services compared to other age groups
- 47. Would you buy extended warranty to protect your new phone against spills and screen damage? Yes, 34.4% No, 37.9% Maybe, 27.7% Will people pay extra for extended warranty on their new phone 35% said they would Note: The question told people that extended warranty can cost 5% to 7% of the phone’s price
- 48. People below 34 years are more likely to buy extended warranty to protect a new phone compared to older age groups % of people that are likely to buy extended warranty to protect their new phone against spills and screen damage 40% 36% 34% 31% 29% Below 18 years 18 to 24 years 25 to 34 years 35 to 44 Above 44 years
- 49. Women are more likely than men to buy extended warranty to protect a new phone against spills and screen damage % of people that are likely to buy extended warranty to protect their new phone against spills and screen damage 34% 40% Men Women
- 50. Would you buy a new phone through smartphone upgrade programs such as Galaxy Forever, Mi Smart Upgrade or Realme Real Upgrade? Yes, 35.2% No, 32.0% Maybe, 32.8% Will people buy a new phone through upgrade programs 35% said they would Note: The question explained how an upgrade program works – one can get a new phone at ~70% of the cost, and then upgrade after 12 months or retain the phone by paying the remaining amount)
- 51. Women are more likely than men to buy a new phone through smartphone upgrade programs 35% 39% Men Women % of people that are likely to buy a new phone through smartphone upgrade programs such as Galaxy Forever, Mi Smart Upgrade or Realme Real Upgrade
- 52. Recap o 84% people are planning to buy a new phone in 2021 o Almost 90% people are planning to buy a 5G phone next o Almost 4 in 10 people would opt for EMIs to buy a new phone o 34% people would pay extra for extended warranty on their new phone o 35% people would buy a new smartphone through smartphone upgrade programs