Smartphone sales grow at a faster rate than other mobile devices. During 2010, the company Gartner estimates the increase in sales of smartphones in 50 percent, while the set of mobile phones will increase 30 percent. The smart phones are very profitable for manufacturers because they leave them more room than basic models.
The point is, everyone knows it, and the competition in that segment is fierce. Currently, manufacturers of traditional mobile terminals must face new players who have entered the business in the heat of initiatives such as Android, Google's open operating system. In this environment, where the technical characteristics of smartphones are very similar, it is difficult to differentiate and maintain consumer loyalty to the brand.
A recent survey carried out by the market research company GfK shows that smartphone owners are not very loyal to their current mobile brand. Maintaining loyalty is increasingly difficult, because consumers not only demand technical features such as a high-resolution camera, GPS or Wi-Fi connectivity, but also easy access to attractive services, often through app stores.
The majority of users (56 percent) do not intend to opt for a specific brand when renewing his terminal. Only a quarter of those interviewed have expressed their desire to be faithful to the same brand and the same operating system. By operating systems, Apple customers are the most loyal with 59 percent, followed by Blackberry (38 percent), and Android (28 percent). Nokia – Symbian users close the table with 24 percent and Windows Mobile users with 21 percent.
GfK surveyed more than two thousand mobile phone users in Germany, Brazil, China, Spain, the United States and the United Kingdom during the months of October and November 2010.
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