What Smartphone Buyers Really Want ?

What Smartphone Buyers Really Want ? to answer this question please read below notes from GMWC. When the GSMA Mobile World Congress (mwc) opens its gates in Barcelona next Monday, we’ll be getting a glimpse at some of the latest innovations in the world of mobile devices. Ahead of this year’s event, it seems like foldable phones are the latest talk of the town, with 5G also expected to be a major talking point in Barcelona next week.

While smartphone manufacturers tend to show off the latest technological advancements cloaked in marketing jargon when presenting a new smartphone model, a recent survey by Morning Consult has revealed that something much more mundane and practical is at the top of smartphone users' wishlists. According to the survey, longer battery life is the most important feature for American smartphone owners, ahead of usability, storage and durability.

Interestingly, many of the recent innovations in smartphone technology, e.g. AR/VR and facial recognition, are among the features Americans don't really care about.

What Smartphone Buyers Really Want ?

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Have We Passed the Peak of the Smartphone Era?

According to latest estimates from market research firm IDC, global smartphone shipments amounted to 375 million units in the fourth quarter of 2018, marking the fifth straight quarter of negative growth for the smartphone market. For the entirety of 2018, smartphone shipments declined by 4.1 percent to 1.4 billion units, making it the worst year ever in terms of shipment growth.

With smartphone penetration reaching saturation levels in many regions and real innovations becoming rarer and less obvious to the average user, it was only a matter of time before the market reached this point, the question being whether things will only go downhill from here. Or in other words: have we passed the peak of the smartphone era yet?

"Globally the smartphone market is a mess right now," Ryan Reith, vice president at IDC, says, citing longer replacement cycles, high penetration levels and consumer frustration with rising prices as some of the factors contributing to the market’s current weakness. That weakness will likely carry on through 2019, as vendors continue to face challenging conditions, especially in China, the world’s largest smartphone market. The imminent arrival of 5G devices does provide a glimmer of hope for the industry, but the more expensive hardware could drive up prices even further, potentially limiting the positive effect of 5G’s arrival.

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by Felix Richter,

Feb 19, 2019

Which Smartphone Carrier Is Best For You?

All of the big nationwide carriers offer Android phones, as do many of the smaller, regional carriers. And, sometimes, selecting a carrier is more important than selecting a phone. After all, the most expensive, best-reviewed Android phone isn't going to do you any good if its carrier's service doesn't work well where you need it most.

Even the big nationwide carriers have dead spots in their coverage areas, and if one of those dead spots is where you live, you're out of luck. So before you get your heart set on a specific Android phone, find out which carriers will work best for you. You can do this by asking around: Find out which phones your friends, neighbors, and co-workers are using and what they like or dislike about their current carrier.

You can also ask your carrier about a trial period when you buy a phone. When you buy a phone, you typically sign a lengthy service contract in order to get a discounted price on the handset. But you may be able to negotiate a 30-day trial period as part of that contract, so that if the phone doesn't work where you need it to, you can get out of your contract.

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