Description
“The mobile phone market stayed stable in 2019 as Samsung and Apple continued to dominate the market, although the challenger brands will hope that offering affordable 5G handsets will help them to gain share. However, the biggest challenge the industry faces in 2020 is dealing with supply chain issues caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 as well as its impact on consumer confidence, which could see people defer or abandon planned smartphone purchases.”
– Zach Emmanuel, Consumer Technology Analyst
This Report looks at the following areas:
- The short, medium and long-term impact of COVID-19 on the mobile phones market.
- How the market will look post COVID-19 and how consumer habits will have changed.
- Launch activity and innovation from the major smartphone manufacturers.
- Types of smartphone owned by consumers, as well as attitudes towards the major brands.
- Opinions on foldable devices and smartphones with physical keyboards
Table of Contents
-
Overview
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Products covered in this Report
-
Executive Summary
- The market
- Smartphone market stays stable in 2019 but challenging times ahead
- Figure 1: UK Mobile Phone market size and forecast (adjusted for COVID-19), 2014-2024
- 5G continues rollout as consumers become increasingly data-reliant
- Google ban to hurt Huawei sales in long-term
- Impact of COVID-19 on Mobile Phones
- Figure 2: Expected impact of COVID-19 on mobile phones, short, medium and long-term, 30 April 2020
- Companies and Brands
- Apple and Samsung continue to dominate
- Apple launches iPhone 11 line-up with marginal upgrades on predecessors
- Samsung and Motorola offer foldable phones in the Galaxy Z Flip and Razr
- Apple dominates advertising of smartphone products in 2019
- The consumer
- Apple has highest customer loyalty
- Figure 3: Brand loyalty for Apple, Samsung and Huawei smartphones, January 2020
- Six in ten people know at least a bit about 5G
- Figure 4: 5G awareness and knowledge, February 2019 – January 2020
- Browsing social media ranks fourth in activities performed on a smartphone
- Figure 5: Activities performed on a smartphone, January 2020
- Consumers least satisfied with battery life
- Figure 6: Satisfaction with smartphone, January 2020
- Slight increase on upgrade intentions compared to 2019
- Ease of use ranks third behind price and quality when choosing a new phone
- Figure 7: Purchasing factors of a new smartphone, January 2020
- Smartphone pricing still holding many consumers back
- Figure 8: Influence of pricing on upcoming smartphone purchases, January 2020
- Over 30% of smartphone owners interested in buying foldable devices
- Figure 9: Attitudes towards buying a foldable or keyboard-based smartphone, January 2020
- What we think
-
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Mobile Phones Sector
- Short, medium and long-term impact
- Figure 10: Expected impact of COVID-19 on mobile phones, short, medium and long-term, 30 April 2020
- Opportunities and Threats
- COVID-19 could boost sales among older generations
- Retailers can help with device set-up and usage
- Developing customer relationships with device replacements and longer return schemes
- Impact on the market
- Market to take a hit in 2020 but a return to low-level growth expected in 2021
- Figure 11: UK Mobile Phones market size and forecast (adjusted for COVID-19), 2014-2024
- Production and supply affected by factory closures
- Event cancellations reduce opportunities to showcase latest models
- Shifts in consumer behaviour
- Consumers less likely to upgrade mobile phones in 2020
- Figure 12: Intent to spend more or less on technology and communications products in next month, March 2020 – April 2020
- Online shopping is growing but lack of in-store experience is an issue for tech
- Impact on key consumer segments
- Gen Z and Younger Millennials least likely to be constrained in their spending
- Swing Generation also show potential to buy for the first time
- How a COVID-19 recession will shape the industry
- Consumers have lower confidence in their finances due to COVID-19
- Figure 13: Value of mobile phone sales, 2008-13
- High unemployment will mean more dropping out rather than trading down
- Despite the gloom, the mobile phones market will not be among the worst hit
- Impact on the marketing mix
- COVID-19 could see manufacturers focus on the mid-range
- Physical stores will remain important despite increased acceptance of online-only shopping
- Smartphone brands’ responses to COVID-19 will be key to maintaining goodwill after the crisis
- Market context
- Short, medium and long-term impact
-
Issues and Insights
- COVID-19 to cause a drop in smartphone sales in 2020 but market should return to growth in 2021
- Popular smartphone manufacturers should offer lower-end devices with a focus on battery life
- The facts
- The implications
- Keyboard accessories for Android could appeal to younger consumers and mobile workers
- The facts
- The implications
-
The Market – What You Need to Know
- Mobile phones market stays stable in 2019 but challenging times ahead
- Impact of COVID-19
- 5G continues rollout as consumers become increasingly data reliant
- Google ban to hurt Huawei sales in long-term
-
Market Size and Forecast
- Smartphone market stable in 2019
- Figure 14: Value of mobile phone sales in the UK, 2014-2019
- Outlook in the light of COVID-19
- Mobile phones set for a challenging year
- Market value to drop in 2020 as supply chain issues and consumer uncertainty take their toll
- Growth to return in 2021
- Figure 15: UK Mobile Phones market size and forecast (adjusted for COVID-19), 2014-2024
- Figure 16: Value of mobile phone sales in the UK (adjusted for COVID-19), 2014-2024
- YoY growth had been expected in 2020 pre COVID-19
- Figure 17: Value of mobile phone sales in the UK (pre COVID-19), 2014-2024
- Figure 18: UK Mobile phones market size and forecast (pre COVID-19), 2014-2024
- COVID-19 forecast economic assumptions
- Smartphone market stable in 2019
-
Market Drivers
- Rise in SIM-only deals
- 5G rollout continues as consumers become more data reliant
- 5G coverage
- 5G pricing
- Significant improvement in video and game streaming
- Google ban to hurt Huawei sales in the long term
- Lack of Google services likely to be a deal-breaker for consumers
-
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
- Apple and Samsung continue to dominate
- Apple launches iPhone 11 line-up with marginal upgrades on predecessors
- Samsung announces S20 series with a focus on cameras
- Samsung and Motorola offer foldable phones in the Galaxy Z Flip and Razr
- More 5G phones arrive in the market
- Apple dominates advertising of smartphone products in 2019
-
Market Share
- Apple and Samsung continue to dominate
- Huawei continues growth despite spying allegations
- Figure 19: Smartphone market share, February 2019 – January 2020
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- Figure 20: Apple and Samsung market share, by generation, January 2020
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Launch Activity and Innovation
- Apple launches iPhone 11 line-up with marginal upgrades on predecessors
- Apple also unveils lower-end iPhone SE
- Samsung announces Galaxy S20 series with a focus on cameras
- 8K video arrives, despite lack of devices to take advantage
- Screen size, 5G support, RAM and storage
- Samsung and Motorola offer foldable phones in the Galaxy Z Flip and Razr
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
- Motorola Razr 2019
- More 5G phones arrive on the market
- OnePlus 7 Pro 5G
- Oppo Reno 5G
- Samsung A90 5G
- Google launches Pixel 4 devices with design change and camera upgrades
-
Brand Research
- Brand map
- Figure 21: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, January 2020
- Key brand metrics
- Figure 22: Key metrics for selected brands, January 2020
- Brand attitudes: Consumers see Apple iPhone as the most likely to deliver high quality
- Figure 23: Attitudes, by brand, January 2020
- Brand personality: Samsung Galaxy seen as the most fun
- Figure 24: Brand personality – macro image, January 2020
- iPhone most likely to be viewed as expensive
- Figure 25: Brand personality – micro image, January 2020
- Brand analysis
- Apple iPhone delivers very high quality but at a cost
- Figure 26: User profile of Apple iPhone, January 2020
- Samsung Galaxy beats iPhone in some areas
- Figure 27: User profile of Samsung Galaxy, January 2020
- Trust in Huawei is lower than some competitors
- Figure 28: User profile of Huawei, January 2020
- Many consumers aware of Google Pixel but few have used it
- Figure 29: User profile of Google Pixel, January 2020
- Sony Xperia viewed as quite reliable and trustworthy
- Figure 30: User profile of Sony Xperia, January 2020
- Consumers still lacking awareness of OnePlus
- Figure 31: User profile of OnePlus, January 2020
- Lack of awareness and usage also a problem for Oppo
- Figure 32: User profile of Oppo, January 2020
- Brand map
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Advertising and Marketing Activity
- Apple dominates advertising of smartphone products in 2019
- Figure 33: Total above the line and online display advertising expenditure on mobile phones, 2016-19
-
- Figure 34: Total above the line and online display advertising expenditure on mobile phones, 2016-19
- Figure 35: Advertising spend, by brand, 2019
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
- Apple dominates advertising of smartphone products in 2019
-
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
- More than eight in ten consumers own a smartphone
- Apple has the highest customer loyalty
- Six in ten people know at least a bit about 5G
- Browsing social media ranks fourth in activities performed on a smartphone
- Consumers least satisfied with battery life
- Slight increase on upgrade intentions compared to 2019
- Ease of use ranks third behind price and quality when choosing a new phone
- Over 30% of smartphone owners interested in buying foldable devices
-
Smartphone Ownership and Brand Loyalty
- More than eight in ten consumers own a smartphone
- Figure 36: Smartphone ownership, January 2020
-
- Figure 37: Length of smartphone ownership, January 2020
- Apple has the highest customer loyalty
- Figure 38: Brand loyalty for smartphones, January 2020
-
- Figure 39: Brand loyalty smartphones, by Samsung, Apple and Huawei owners, January 2020
- More than eight in ten consumers own a smartphone
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5G Awareness and Ownership
- Six in ten people know at least a bit about 5G
- Figure 40: 5G awareness and knowledge, February 2019 – January 2020
-
- Figure 41: 5G awareness and knowledge, by generation, January 2020
- Almost 15% of consumers with a 5G-capable brand have a 5G smartphone
- Figure 42: Ownership of a 5G capable smartphone, January 2020
- Six in ten people know at least a bit about 5G
-
Smartphone Activities and Consumer Satisfaction
- Browsing social media ranks fourth in activities performed on a smartphone
-
- Figure 43: Activities performed on a smartphone, January 2020
- Over 30% of smartphone owners use their device as a Wi-Fi hotspot
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- Figure 44: Tethering a smartphone mobile network, January 2020
- Consumers least satisfied with battery life
- Apple and Samsung beat the competition on most satisfaction measures
- Figure 45: Satisfaction with smartphone, January 2020
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Intent to Upgrade and Purchase Factors
- Slight increase in upgrade intentions compared to 2019
- Men show greater interest in 5G than women
- Figure 46: Intent to upgrade smartphone in next two years, February 2019 – January 2020
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- Figure 47: Intent to upgrade to a 5G smartphone in next two years, January 2020
- Ease of use ranks third behind price and quality when choosing a new phone
- Figure 48: Purchasing factors for a new smartphone, January 2020
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- Figure 49: Purchasing factors for a new smartphone, for Apple, Samsung and Huawei owners, January 2020
- Smartphone pricing still holding many consumers back
- Figure 50: Influence of pricing on upcoming smartphone purchases, January 2020
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Smartphone Attitudes
- Over 30% of smartphone owners interested in buying foldable devices
- Tablet replacement potential could increase willingness to pay
- Around a quarter interested in a smartphone with a physical keyboard
-
- Figure 51: Attitudes towards buying a foldable or keyboard-based smartphone, January 2020
- A third of consumers consider privacy when buying a smartphone
- Figure 52: Privacy concerns when buying a smartphone, January 2020
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Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
About the report
Market
Mintel provides a range of market information, frequently through the category level, including market size and forecasting, complete with market drivers that illustrate the forces that shape a category or market.
Consumer
Mintel’s proprietary consumer research provides our analysts with the attitudinal and behavioral data used to provide valuable insight to topical issues.
Brand/Company
Mintel provides overviews of the top brands and manufacturers, and uses consumer research to explore attitudes and reactions to brands, as well as insight into what will resonate with consumers.
Data
Market reports provide appendices of data to support the research and insight produced. Our databooks* are easily manipulated and downloadable to support your research needs and covers factors from consumer attitudes to market forecasts.
*databooks not available with UK B2B Industry reports.
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