Smartphone users exhibit slowdown in upgrading
Vijay C Roy
Chandigarh, April 5
From less than 12 months to now 18 months, smartphone users in the country are waiting longer before upgrading. The total number of smartphones in Indian market was estimated at around 15-16 crore units in 2022, dominated by budget phones with prices ranging between Rs 6,000 and Rs 15,000.
“Earlier, on an average, smartphone owners used their phones for less than 12 months before upgrading. But now, this has increased to 18 months. There are a number of reasons for this,” said Sree Hari, product manager, Realme Global.
Change in Buying behaviour
- The Indian smartphone market is estimated at around 15-16 crore units, dominated by budget phones with prices ranging between Rs 6,000 and Rs 15,000
- Earlier, on an average, smartphone owners used their phones for less than 12 months before upgrading. But now, this waiting period has increased to 18 months, as per IDC data
“The life cycle of smartphones has been steadily increasing and also the devices are getting better. Besides, the advent of new technology is a bit slow. These are the major reasons why people are delaying the new purchase and keeping their phones for longer period,” he said.
Experts say the trend may also be due to reasons ranging from advancements in technology to the pricing. Analysts say the maturity of the market also matters. “A significant percentage of users are usually not on their first smartphone, but they have found a model that is good enough for now and this can also be one of the reasons for the delay in the purchase of a new phone.”
Dwindling consumer demand due to high inflation remained a challenge throughout the year despite the improved supply situation. The dearth of new launches in this critical mass segment was a barrier for new smartphone users, thus limiting the overall market’s growth, according to International Data Corporation data.
