Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Products covered in this Report
Executive Summary
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- The Market
- Market dips amid SIM-only growth and rising phone prices
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- Figure 1: Mobile phones market size and forecast, 2013-23
- Manufacturers innovate with notch-less displays
- Foldable phones enter the market
- The Consumer
- Majority of consumers in the dark about 5G
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- Figure 2: 5G knowledge, February 2019
- Most consumers buy through a mobile network provider
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- Figure 3: Location of purchase, February 2019
- Less than a quarter make mobile near field communication (NFC) purchases
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- Figure 4: Mobile contactless payments, February 2019
- Vast majority value better battery over other enhancements
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- Figure 5: Improving battery life, February 2019
- Most see new phones as out of reach
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- Figure 6: Latest smartphone prices, February 2019
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Charging cases could play bigger role as consumers still demand longer battery life
- The facts
- The implications
- Smartphone prices could drive consumers to second hand or refurbished handsets
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Market dips amid SIM-only growth and rising phone prices
- Smartphone prices hindering the market
- Manufacturers hope 5G will push sales
- Manufacturers innovate with notch-less displays
- Foldable phones enter the market
Market Size and Forecast
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- Market dips amid SIM-only growth and rising phone prices
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- Figure 7: Mobile phones market size, 2013-23
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- Figure 8: Value of sales for mobile phones in the UK, 2013-23
Market Drivers
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- Consumers keeping their devices for longer
- Smartphone prices hindering the market
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- Figure 9: Selected manufacturers’ smartphone prices at launch, 2016-2019
- Digital addiction continues in consumers’ minds
- Manufacturers hope 5G will push sales
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Huawei gains market share but Apple and Samsung still well in front
- 5G could help challenger brands make a difference
- Manufacturers innovate with notch-less displays
- Embedded fingerprint scanning provides new authentication method
- Foldable phones enter the market
- Samsung Galaxy has the highest recommendation rating
- Apple iPhone offers exclusive but premium experience
Market Share
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- Huawei gains market share but Apple and Samsung still well in front
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- Figure 10: Mobile phone market share, February 2019
- Oppo arrives
- 5G could help challenger brands make an impact
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Manufacturers innovate with notchless displays
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- Figure 11: Honor View 20
- 5G phones coming to the market
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- Figure 12: Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G
- Apple announces iPhone XR and XS Max
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- Figure 13: Battery life for iPhone XR, XS and XS Max
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- Figure 14: iPhone XR
- Embedded fingerprint scanning provides new authentication method
- Foldable phones enter the market
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- Figure 15: Samsung Galaxy Fold
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- Figure 16: Huawei Mate X
Brand Research
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- Brand map
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- Figure 17: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, March 2019
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 18: Key metrics for selected brands, March 2019
- Brand attitudes: Consumers feel the iPhone is worth the premium price
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- Figure 19: Attitudes, by brand, March 2019
- Brand personality: Top Android brands seen as ethical and fun
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- Figure 20: Brand personality – Macro image, March 2019
- Samsung and Google lead the pack for cutting-edge technology
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- Figure 21: Brand personality – Micro image, March 2019
- Brand analysis
- Samsung Galaxy has highest recommendation rating
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- Figure 22: User profile of Samsung Galaxy, March 2019
- Apple iPhone offers an exclusive but premium experience
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- Figure 23: User profile of Apple iPhone, March 2019
- Huawei jumps in awareness and recommendations compared to 2018
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- Figure 24: User profile of Huawei, March 2019
- Google Pixel closely associated with cutting-edge and innovation
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- Figure 25: User profile of Google Pixel, March 2019
- Sony Xperia closely associated with being a trusted brand
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- Figure 26: User profile of Sony Xperia, March 2019
- OnePlus has significantly lower awareness than other phone brands
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- Figure 27: User profile of OnePlus, March 2019
- HTC is viewed as accessible but quite outdated
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- Figure 28: User profile of HTC, March 2019
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Overall ad spending drops but Huawei’s soars
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- Figure 29: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on mobile phones, 2015-18
- Figure 30: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on mobile phones, by media type, 2015-18
- Figure 31: Advertising spend, by brand, 2018
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Majority of consumers in the dark about 5G
- Most consumers buy through a mobile network provider
- Social media still king but chat apps rise into top three
- Less than a quarter make mobile NFC purchases
- Intent to upgrade decreasing
- Vast majority value better battery over other enhancements
- Most see new phones as out of reach
5G Awareness and Knowledge
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- Majority of consumers in the dark about 5G
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- Figure 32: 5G knowledge, February 2019
Length of Time with Device
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- Over a third consumers have had their phone for one to two years
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- Figure 33: Length of time with smartphone, February 2019
Location of Purchase and Payment Type
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- Most consumers buy through a mobile network provider
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- Figure 34: Location of purchase, February 2019
- Consumers favour instalments for network provider
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- Figure 35: Type of payment among smartphone owners who bought from retailers or network providers, February 2019
- Almost eight in ten buying from manufacturer choose to pay upfront
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- Figure 36: Type of payment among smartphone owners who bought from the manufacturer, February 2019
Top Smartphone Activities
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- Social media still king but chat apps rise to top three
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- Figure 37: Activities done on smartphones, February 2019
- Top activities vary noticeably across different generations
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- Figure 38: Top used smartphone feature [social media] by generation, February 2019
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- Figure 39: Top used smartphone feature [calls] by generation, February 2019
Use of Mobile Contactless Payments
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- Less than a quarter make mobile NFC purchases
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- Figure 40: Use of mobile contactless payments, February 2019
- Mobile NFC payers prefer contactless cards
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- Figure 41: Preferred payment method among contactless mobile payment users, February 2019
- Non-users concerned over security
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- Figure 42: Reasons for not using mobile payments, February 2019
Intent to Upgrade Smartphone
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- Intent to upgrade decreasing
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- Figure 43: Intent to upgrade, February 2019
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- Figure 44: Intent to upgrade, 2016-19
Uses for Old Devices
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- Most people keeping old devices around as spares
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- Figure 45: Uses for old devices, February 2019
Importance of Better Battery Life
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- Vast majority value better battery over other enhancements
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- Figure 46: Prioritisation of improved battery life over other features, February 2019
Opinions on Prices for Newest Handsets
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- Vast majority see new phones as out of reach
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- Figure 47: Whether consumers see new smartphone models as out of their price range, February 2019
Attitudes towards Smartphone Purchasing
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- Consumers tend to stay loyal to brands when buying new phones
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- Figure 48: Attitudes towards smartphone buying, February 2019
- Consumers split on second-hand phones but most people avoid comparison sites
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Market forecast – Best/worst case scenario
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- Figure 49: Mobile phones market forecast – Best/worst case, 2018-23
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