Accenture global survey says consumer purchases of
smartphones are expected to rebound this year, fueled by better
security, new functions, improved performance and device refresh
schedules.
This encouraging news to manufacturer, is coming after sales abysmal dropped to a three-year low last year,
The survey of 26,000 consumers in 26 countries – whose findings are summarized in Accenture’s new Dynamic Digital Consumers
– reveals consumer demand for specific types of connected devices, such
as smartwatches and fitness monitors, will remain sluggish this year
due to high prices and persistent concerns about the security and
privacy of their personal data. The survey also shows consumers are
increasingly embracing artificial intelligence capabilities such as
digital voice assistants.
More than half (54 percent) of consumers surveyed said they plan to buy a
smartphone in the next year, up from 48 percent in last year’s survey.
Chinese consumers are the main drivers of this upturn, with
three-quarters (74 percent) of respondents in China saying they intend
to purchase a smartphone in the coming 12 months, up from less than
two-thirds (61 percent) in last year’s survey. The number of respondents
in India and the United States who said they plan to buy a smartphone
in the coming 12 months also increased by double digits over last year,
to 79 percent in India (from 68 percent last year) and 52 percent in the
United States (from 38 percent last year).
Among all consumers surveyed, the leading driver of purchase intent is
the ability to access the newest and most innovative features and
functions, cited by 51 percent of respondents in this year’s survey,
compared with only 41 percent last year. Another reason consumers are
opting to buy new smartphones is inadequate performance of their
existing devices, cited by 45 percent of customers this year – up from
33 percent last year.
