Consumers Can’t Pick a Cellphone to Buy; Survey

By Allan Pulga

Have customers every told you that there were too many cellphone choices to choose from? Has the rapid advancement of technology ever discouraged your customers from buying a new cellphone?

If so, it wouldn’t surprise the researchers at RBC Capital Markets. They recently conducted a survey of 1,001 U.S. cellphone users and found that a proliferation of product choices and rapidly changing technology are the key deterrents when it comes to purchasing their mobile devices.

A surprising 45 per cent of respondents say too many product choices prevent them from making a purchase decision. And 56 per cent of purchasers are deterred by rapidly changing technology.

The challenge for wireless retailers remains, therefore: To convince customers that the cellphone they’re looking for is available and that the technology behind that phone is not beyond their comprehension.

On the other hand, price and compatibility (with other devices) were the top purchasing drivers among respondents.

“With so many single-purpose devices in the market, combined with evolving technology, consumers are resisting making a choice,” said Scott Collins, RBC Capital Markets’ director of U.S. Equity Research.

“Our research shows that over time, (mobile technology) will be adopted more widely. Compatibility and convergence will be the key influences on consumer purchases and enterprise product development as we move forward.”

Convergence appears to be a big concern for PDA and laptop users, as 29 per cent of such respondents expressed frustration that their various handheld devices don’t work together.

Another key finding, related to the ongoing development of new technology, is that 48 per cent of consumers worried products they’ve recently purchased and depend on will quickly become obsolete.

Therein lies another obstacle for wireless retailers: Explain to customers that what they’re buying won’t go obsolete.

The RBC Capital Markets survey also had some interesting (and funny) social findings about U.S. mobile consumers:

• “Back-stabbers”: Nearly 20 per cent of U.S. cellphone users have text-messaged opinions to a person in their immediate vicinity, to prevent others nearby from knowing.
• “Voyeurs”: One in eight cellphone users have taken a photo or video of a stranger without their knowledge.
• “Libertarians”: Roughly 43 per cent of respondents said wireless service providers should provide free access to Google – a likely argument for the democratization of the Internet.
• “Net Addicts”: Almost half (48 per cent) of PDA and laptop users listed “instant access to the Internet anytime, anywhere” as a priority in life.
• “Google Fiends”: Nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of respondents admitted that “Google is a part of my everyday life and I want to access it anytime, anywhere.”