More and more people in Germany are using mobile phones, while at the same time fewer new devices are being sold, according to a recent market research study by the German digital technology association Bitkom.
The decline in sales of new mobile phones is due to two reasons. First, the market has been “dried up” by semiconductors, which are needed not only in the automotive industry, but also in mobile factories. Second, consumers want to keep their mobile phones longer than mobile companies would prefer. For most, however, the two years provided are no longer enough.
Despite the fact that mobile phone users in Germany will increase from 79% to 83% in 2022 (over 16), which corresponds to 1.4 million new users, sales will be reduced to less than 20 million this year. For the current year, the Bitkom link expects a decrease in sales of around 3.9%. This decline is partly offset by the preference shown by consumers for more expensive mobile phones. Indicative that the turnover will be reduced this year to 10.9 billion euros, because the average price of mobile phones will increase by 14 euros reaching 553.
Fewer mobiles are sold, but more applications and services
Reduced sales do not seem to worry Bitkom, as the market for “smart” mobiles is not just about device sales, but includes applications, network infrastructure and voice and data services. The link even speaks of a “mobile ecosystem”. It should be noted that the “ecosystem” alone brings more than 20 billion euros to the market through voice and data services, ie more than 50% of the total turnover. According to Bitkom, at the same time, the application market turnover is expected to increase to a total of 3.3 billion euros.
A large portion of consumers want to keep the mobile phone they bought for longer, despite the fact that they do not want it to have outdated technology, says Bitkom board member Markus Haas: “At the same time, consumers prefer to spend more to ensure that they will be able to use their device for a longer period of time “.
Definitive purchase criteria screen and upgrades
Market research also shows that for consumers, sustainability and the recycling of old appliances play an increasingly important role. There are many who say that the criteria for buying new devices include: a good quality screen, great autonomy, good build quality and long-term support of the manufacturer with software upgrades. The quality of the camera (76%) and the quality of the lenses (70%) are also of particular importance. It should be noted that three out of four consumers state that they remain loyal to the brand of their old mobile phone when they buy a new one.
According to the Bitkom link, more than half of the consumers (56%) state that they do not have access to the data of the mobile contract. Only 3% say they are satisfied. 44% of consumers have at their disposal on a contract basis from 1 to 4 GB, about 20% have more than 5% and 12% have unlimited data.
Dirk Kaufman
Editing: Stefanos? Georgakopoulos
Source: Deutsche Welle
Source: Capital
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