Counter Point Research (CPR), a market research company, has found that Malaysians spend more time on their smartphones than anyone else across various surveyed countries. This stands in stark contrast with countries like Japan; where one expects them to be glued to their devices all day.
Comparatively, 55% of Malaysians say that they spend more than five hours a day on their mobile devices. A trend that CPR says is prevalent in emerging markets. It’s likely that this also has something to do with chat app being favoured over voice calls in these countries; since typing tends to take up more time.
In comparison, a mature mobile market like Japan showed that 43% of respondents spending less than three hours a day on their smartphones. Then again, that number may be affected by the amount of time spent working.
Increasing smartphone prices also do not appear to be deterring anyone from refreshing their devices. Apart from spending the most time on their smartphones, almost one in four Malaysians are also willing to pay US$ 400 (about RM 1,600) or more for their next smartphone. However, that is extremely low compared to the 53% of respondents from Saudi Arabia and China; and the 51% from Australian and Germany.
CPR pointed out that the growth of Chinese brands around the world has hasten the phone replacement cycle in many markets. It also says that the trend is clearly seen in emerging markets like Malaysia when compared to developed markets.
Lastly, almost 45% of Malaysians are using at least one payment/wallet app for daily transaction. This is consistent with its findings of the rise of digital payment solutions in emerging markets.
For the most part, the study shows a robust global smartphone market. One that is seemingly immune to prices and economic concerns. It’s uncertain how long this trend will last, considering that device refresh cycles are showing to have slowed in developed countries; which could affect smartphone sales as emerging markets race towards a more mature status.
(Source: Counter Point Research )
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