Indians like to take cue from peers while buying smartphones, says IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) has revealed consumers want to touch and feel smartphones before buying them.

As per a survey conducted by the IDC on behaviour of Indians buying smartphones, recommendations by retailers, touching the handset before buying, and a word of mouth from friends and family play crucial roles in influencing their purchase.

The survey also revealed that Indians like to make three-fourths of their smartphone buys offline, despite several models being available only on websites.

India’s smartphone market is crowded, but has still got room for growth, thus attracting Chinese brands that are paving their way into customers mind and displacing incumbent players.

Also read: 51% of the Indian smartphone market is comprised of Chinese phone companies by shipments

"Smartphone is now more of a status and style symbol than a mere communication and utilitarian device. Sheer number of smartphones choices in the market, peer pressure and the need to remain up to date with the latest technology are some of the factors driving the consumers in India to research, seek reviews and recommendations before buying a smartphone," Himanshu Jain, Market Analyst, IDC India, told ET.

Analysts also found that there is more demand for smartphones from Tier 2&3 cities than from Tier 1 cities, probably because urban markets have begun to saturate. This is what has led vendors to open stores in Tier 2&3 and rural areas.

Also read: 6 upcoming phones getting launched in the summer of 2017

The survey was called the Smartphone PULSE research program, and undertook face to face discussion with more than 4000 smartphone purchasers/users across 10 Indian cities.

The research also found that out of every three smartphone buyer, two are male, and that every second buyer is below 25 years of age.