Are the latest smartphones too expensive? They are according to 39 per cent of Australians who purchased a brand-new phone in the last two years.
A Canstar Blue survey of more than 1400 Australians who had bought a phone within the last 24 months has revealed nearly half think the device is too expensive.
Of those aged 70 and older, almost half (49 per cent) agree that smartphones cost too much while 41 per cent of 60- to 69-year-olds and 48 per cent of 50- to 59-year-olds also agreed.
“Considering that older Aussies are paying less for their phones and believe the prices are too expensive, it’s safe to say that they’re more inclined to look for a bargain and choose a cheaper smartphone than their younger counterparts,” Canstar Blue’s telco specialist Emma Bradstock says.
“Not only do Aussies feel that phones are too expensive, but 22 per cent of those surveyed believe that many of the features and capabilities of smartphones are unnecessary — a surprising number considering how that little phone in our pockets has made our lives a lot easier.”
But it’s a different story with the younger age groups with only 12 per cent of 18–29-year-olds and 12 per cent of 30- to 39-year-olds thinking that smartphones are too expensive.
“When it comes to smartphone features, cameras are not as important to Aussies as you might think. Only 16% of those surveyed chose their smartphone based on the cameras,” says Bradstock.
“Considering that this is a feature many smartphone manufacturers choose to highlight and compete over, Aussies who aren’t as fussy about having the latest-and-greatest camera setup may want to look towards less camera-focused devices to save money.”
The smartphone category is a very competitive one and companies are trying to go one up on its competitors by constantly introducing new and improved features.
But, according to the Canstar Blue survey, 29 per cent of Australians think smartphone technology changes too frequently.
And when you consider the number of phone releases each year, it can be quite complicated when looking for a new device.
That might explain why 23 per cent of Australians only upgraded their phone because they had to because they may have had outdated software, run out of storage or their battery capacity was reduced.