Insights from our latest smartphone survey, covering data and trends on ownership patterns, buyer behaviour, aspects that matter while buying a new phone, and more.

1. Smartphone Buyer Insights Survey
(April 2023)
Voice of 15,000+ users
India’s #1 Gadget Discovery Site

2. Objective of the survey
Key questions asked
Current brand ownership in the smartphone space
How brand loyalties are shifting
How people research for new smartphones
How people prefer to buy new smartphones
Popularity of smartphone brands by age and gender
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2
3
4
5

3. Demographic split and methodology
Demographic Split of Respondents
Survey Methodology
Gender:
 86% men
 14% women
Age:
 28% below 18 years
 24% between 18 and 24 years
 19% between 25 and 34 years
 17% between 35 and 44 years
 11% above 44 years
Region:
 North 43%
 West 31%
 East 14%
 South 12%
 Survey was conducted via Google forms
 For response collection, survey was distributed on 91mobiles’ site and social
channels
Notes:
1) In this report, respondent data from 2022 has been compared with respondent data from 2023, where applicable,
to analyse trends
2) For slides with more than one graph, please note each graph is set at its own scale

4. Trends in smartphone ownership

5. Smartphone brands people own today
Samsung is leading the race with 18% people using its devices
Breakup of smartphone brands owned by people currently
Samsung, 18.4%
Xiaomi, 13.1%
Vivo, 11.7%
Realme, 11.6%
Apple, 11.1%
OPPO, 9.0%
OnePlus, 6.0%
POCO, 2.7%
Motorola, 2.3%
Tecno, 1.6%
Infinix, 1.6%
iQOO, 1.5%
Google, 1.2%
Honor / Huawei,
1.0%
Nokia, 0.9%
ASUS, 0.8%
Micromax, 0.5%
Nothing, 0.3%
Other, 4.8%

6. Samsung
Smartphone brands that have gained in ownership share
(From April 2022 to April 2023)
Motorola
17.4% 18.4%
Apr 2022 Apr 2023
% of people owning Samsung
devices
1.6%
2.3%
Apr 2022 Apr 2023
% of people owning Motorola
devices

7. Infinix
Vivo POCO
1.1%
1.6%
Apr 2022 Apr 2023
% of people owning Infinix
devices
Smartphone brands that have gained in ownership share
(From April 2022 to April 2023)
11.2%
11.7%
Apr 2022 Apr 2023
% of people owning Vivo devices
2.3%
2.7%
Apr 2022 Apr 2023
% of people owning POCO
devices

8. Tecno
OPPO
Smartphone brands that have gained in ownership share
(From April 2022 to April 2023)
8.6%
9.0%
Apr 2022 Apr 2023
% of people owning OPPO
devices
1.2%
1.6%
Apr 2022 Apr 2023
% of people owning Tecno
devices

9. Xiaomi
iQOO Micromax
Smartphone brands that have gained in ownership share
(From April 2022 to April 2023)
12.9% 13.1%
Apr 2022 Apr 2023
% of people owning Xiaomi
devices
0.4%
0.5%
Apr 2022 Apr 2023
% of people owning Micromax
devices
1.2%
1.5%
Apr 2022 Apr 2023
% of people owning iQOO
devices

10. ASUS
Nokia
Smartphone brands that have declined in ownership share
(From April 2022 to April 2023)
1.0%
0.9%
Apr 2022 Apr 2023
% of people owning Nokia
devices
1.0%
0.8%
Apr 2022 Apr 2023
% of people owning ASUS
devices

11. OnePlus Apple
Smartphone brands that have declined in ownership share
(From April 2022 to April 2023)
14.3%
11.1%
Apr 2022 Apr 2023
% of people owning Apple
devices
7.2%
6.0%
Apr 2022 Apr 2023
% of people owning OnePlus
devices
11.9% 11.6%
Apr 2022 Apr 2023
% of people owning Realme
devices
Realme

12. 1.0%
0.7%
0.5% 0.5% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4%
0.3% 0.2%
-0.3%
-1.2%
-3.2%
Samsung Motorola Vivo Infinix POCO OPPO Tecno iQOO Xiaomi Realme OnePlus Apple
17.4% 1.6% 11.2% 1.1% 2.3% 8.6% 1.2% 1.2% 12.9% 11.9% 7.2% 14.3%
18.4% 2.3% 11.7% 1.6% 2.7% 9.0% 1.6% 1.5% 13.1% 11.6% 6.0% 11.1%
% change in current brand ownership 2022 vs 2023
Current Brand Ownership in 2022 Current Brand Ownership in 2023
Change in current brand ownership 2022 vs 2023
Which smartphone brand people currently own

13. Current brand preference: which smartphone brand people want to
own next (whenever they upgrade in the next 1 to 2 years)
Breakup of smartphone brands people plan to buy next
Apple, 20.3%
Samsung, 18.8%
OnePlus, 14.4%
Vivo, 7.9%
Realme, 7.9%
Xiaomi, 6.4%
OPPO, 5.4%
Motorola, 3.4%
iQOO, 3.3%
POCO, 2.3%
Google, 2.3%
Infinix, 1.4%
Nokia, 0.9%
Nothing, 0.8%
ASUS, 0.7%
Tecno, 0.6% Micromax, 0.5%
Other, 2.7%

14. 4.5%
1.4% 1.1% 0.8%
0.4% 0.3% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1%
-0.8% -0.9%
-2.5%
-6.9%
Samsung Motorola Vivo iQOO Nokia Tecno Micromax Infinix OPPO OnePlus Xiaomi Realme Apple
Change in brand preference 2022 vs 2023
Which brand people said they want to own next whenever they upgrade their devices
14.3% 2.0% 6.8% 2.5% 0.5% 0.3% 0.3% 1.3% 5.3% 15.2% 7.3% 10.4% 27.2%
18.8% 3.4% 7.9% 3.3% 0.9% 0.6% 0.5% 1.4% 5.4% 14.4% 6.4% 7.9% 20.3%
% change in the number of people who said they want to upgrade to the
following brands when they next buy a new phone
Preferred next brand in 2022 Preferred next brand in 2023

15. Recap
o The brand with the highest share of users today: Samsung
o Brands that saw an increase in ownership share from April 2022 to April 2023:
Samsung, Motorola, Vivo, Infinix, POCO, OPPO, Tecno, iQOO, Xiaomi and
Micromax
o Brands that saw a decrease in ownership share from April 2022 to April 2023:
Nokia, ASUS, Realme, OnePlus and Apple
o Most preferred brand today with the highest number of users saying they want
to migrate to this brand when they upgrade next: Apple
o The brand with the highest jump in user preference from April 2022 to April
2023: Samsung, followed by Motorola
o The brand with the highest fall in user preference from April 2022 to April 2023:
Apple

16. Brand loyalty among smartphone users

17. Brand loyalty / customer retention
Apple beats OnePlus as the brand with most loyal users
% of people likely to buy from the same smartphone brand when they upgrade next
84.7%
63.7%
55.6%
51.0%
44.2%
35.8% 34.8% 34.5%
31.4% 31.1% 29.5%
15.5%
Apple OnePlus Samsung iQOO Motorola Infinix Vivo Realme Xiaomi OPPO POCO Tecno

18. 7.8% 7.4%
2.4%
1.2% 1.1%
-0.4%
-1.4%
-2.6%
-3.5% -3.6% -3.8%
-8.0%
Samsung Tecno Vivo Motorola OPPO POCO iQOO Apple Infinix Xiaomi Realme OnePlus
47.8% 8.1% 32.4% 43.0% 30.0% 29.9% 52.4% 87.3% 39.3% 35.0% 38.3% 71.7%
55.6% 15.5% 34.8% 44.2% 31.1% 29.5% 51.0% 84.7% 35.8% 31.4% 34.5% 63.7%
Brand loyalty of current users in 2022 Brand loyalty of current users in 2023
Change in brand loyalty from last year
Samsung and Tecno saw a big jump, while Realme and OnePlus saw a big dip
% change in the number of current users who want to buy from the same
brand again when they upgrade next

19. How major brands will lose when users upgrade next
Vivo users planning
to switch to
Apple 15.6%
OnePlus 13.2%
Samsung 11.3%
Samsung users
planning to switch to
OnePlus 11.4%
Apple 9.1%
Realme 4.1%
Xiaomi users
planning to switch to
OnePlus 16.3%
Samsung 13.8%
Apple 8.6%
Realme users
planning to switch to
Apple 15.3%
OnePlus 12.5%
Samsung 12.1%
OPPO users planning
to switch to
Apple 17.1%
OnePlus 12.8%
Samsung 11.9%
OnePlus users
planning to switch to
Apple 12.6%
Samsung 10.0%
Google 2.3%
Brand-wise % of people who wish to move to other brands from their current ones

20. Recap
o The brands with the highest customer loyalty: Apple and OnePlus
o Brands with the highest increase in customer loyalty from 2022 to 2023:
Samsung and Tecno
o Brands with the highest decrease in customer loyalty from 2022 to 2023:
Realme and OnePlus

21. How people decide on a new smartphone

22. What is the main reason for you to buy a new smartphone for yourself?
Primary reason for buying a new phone
Almost 50% people buy a new phone just for an upgrade
10.0%
12.7%
36.2%
41.1%
Other
To avail a good deal that I am getting on a new
phone
To own the latest or a better smartphone
My current phone is no longer working as well
as it used to

23. How often do you end up changing your primary smartphone?
Within 6 months,
10.3%
6 months to 1 year,
8.6%
1 year to 2 years,
19.9%
After 2 years,
61.2%
Frequency of smartphone upgrade
Almost 40% people upgrade within 2 years, with 19% upgrading within a year

24. What is your primary source of information while deciding on a new phone?
13.2%
16.2%
21.4%
22.4%
26.8%
Check e-commerce websites
Visit offline store(s) to check options
Ask friends and family members for
recommendations
Watch video reviews on YouTube
Check gadget websites (91mobiles,
MySmartPrice, GSMArena, etc.)
How people decide on a new phone
~50% people research a new phone on gadget sites or YouTube before going to the store

25. Recap
o Almost 50% people buy a new phone just for an upgrade
o Almost 40% people upgrade their phone within 2 years, with 19%
upgrading within a year
o Almost 50% people research a new phone on gadget sites or
YouTube

26. Smartphone attributes that matter most to
people while deciding a new phone

27. Which smartphone attribute is most important to you while deciding on a
new phone?
Performance /
speed, 42.0%
Camera, 20.6%
Brand name, 17.6%
Battery, 10.1%
Design / looks,
6.7%
Display, 2.9%
Performance matters most to people while buying a new
smartphone

28. % of people that said camera matters most while deciding on a new phone
Younger people care more about camera while buying a new
phone compared to older age groups
36.7%
27.4%
16.0%
13.5%
6.4%
Below 18 years 18 to 24 years 25 to 34 years 35 to 44 Above 44 years

29. Which of these factors is most important for you while evaluating the
performance of your next smartphone?
RAM capacity (in
GB), 32.9%
Processor brand (Qualcomm
Snapdragon, MediaTek, Exynos,
etc), 31.8%
Processor clock
speed (in GHz),
19.6%
Special gaming features
(Touch response, smooth
refresh rate, shoulder triggers,
etc.), 10.4%
Benchmark scores (AnTuTu,
Geekbench, etc.), 5.3%
RAM capacity matters more to people than processor
brand while evaluating the performance of their next phone

30. Which of these is most important for you while evaluating the camera
capabilities of your next smartphone?
Resolution
(measured in
megapixels), 32.2%
Video capabilities (4k
video, slow-mo, etc.),
25.2%
Number of rear
cameras, 14.4%
AI capabilities /
software features,
13.4%
Selfie capabilities,
9.0%
Aperture (measured
in f-number), 5.8%
How people evaluate a phone’s camera capability

31. Which of these upcoming flagships are you most looking forward to?
34.5%
1.9%
3.2%
3.3%
4.2%
5.2%
9.9%
14.1%
23.6%
Not interested in premium phones
ASUS ROG Phone 7
Motorola Edge 40 Pro
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
Google Pixel 8 series
OPPO Find X6 series
OnePlus V Fold
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
Apple iPhone 15 series
Upcoming flagship devices people are most excited about
Apple iPhone 15 series tops the list

32. Which of these upcoming budget / mid-range smartphones are you most
looking forward to?
28.0%
4.3%
4.7%
6.5%
6.6%
8.2%
8.8%
11.6%
21.2%
Not interested in budget or mid-range smartphones
POCO F5 series
Realme GT 3
Google Pixel 7a
OPPO Reno 10 series
Realme 11 series
iPhone SE 4
Samsung Galaxy M54
OnePlus Nord CE 3
Upcoming mid-range devices people are most excited about
OnePlus Nord CE 3 tops the list

33. Recap
o 42% people said performance / speed of the phone is the most important
aspect while buying a new phone
o Men care more about performance while buying a new phone compared to
women
o Women care more about camera while buying a new phone compared to men
o 33% people consider RAM capacity as the most important factor while
evaluating a phone’s performance
o 32% people consider megapixel count as the most important factor while
evaluating a phone’s camera

34. How people prefer to purchase a new
smartphone

35. How much did you pay for your current phone?
Below ₹10,000,
33.5%
Between ₹10,000 and ₹20,000,
40.7%
Between ₹20,000 and ₹30,000,
13.9%
More than ₹30,000,
11.9%
Most popular price segment for smartphones
Almost 30% people own devices priced above ₹20k

36. 70% people are planning to buy a new phone in 2023
Are you planning to buy a new phone this year?
Yes, 69.7%
No, 15.6%
Not sure,
14.7%

37. Almost 30% people own a 5G phone today
Do you currently own a 5G phone?
No, 72.6%
Yes, 27.4%

38. Where people would prefer to buy a new phone if…
Online and offline price
are the same
Online price is ₹1000
cheaper than offline
Offline price is ₹1000
cheaper than online
Online,
40.9%
Offline,
34.2%
Not sure,
24.9%
Online,
51.6%
Offline,
24.3%
Not sure,
24.1%
Online,
30.4%
Offline,
40.0%
Not sure,
29.6%

39. How would you pay for a new smartphone?
Pay full amount
upfront, 49.0%
Buy it on EMI through
bank credit / debit card,
20.0%
Buy it on EMI through
services like Bajaj
Finserve / ZestMoney,
14.9%
Other, 16.1%
Preferred mode of payment for a new smartphone
Almost 35% people would opt for EMIs

40. Will you get a new bank credit card or cardless EMI card (like Bajaj Finserv, UNI)
because it offers a good discount on a phone you want to buy?
No, 46.9%
Yes, 33.0%
Maybe,
20.1%
33% people said they would get a new bank credit card or a cardless
EMI card if it offers a good discount on a new phone they want

41. Would you buy extended warranty to protect your new phone against
spills and screen damage?
No, 40.9%
Yes, 39.0%
Maybe,
20.0%
Will people pay extra for extended warranty on their new phone
Almost 40% said they would
Note: The question told people that extended warranty can cost 7% to 10% of the phone’s price

42. Younger people are more likely to buy extended warranty to protect
a new phone compared to older age groups
% of people that are likely to buy extended warranty to protect their new phone
against spills and screen damage
36.0%
27.6%
16.1%
12.3%
8.0%
Below 18 years 18 to 24 years 25 to 34 years 35 to 44 years Above 44 years

43. Would you buy a new phone through smartphone upgrade programs such as Galaxy
Forever, Mi Smart Upgrade or Realme Real Upgrade?
Yes, 43.3%
No, 30.6%
Maybe, 26.1%
Will people buy a new phone through upgrade programs
Almost 45% said they would
Note: The question explained how an upgrade program works – one can get a new phone at ~70% of the
cost, and then upgrade after 12 months or retain the phone by paying the remaining amount)

44. What do you do with your old smartphone?
Keep it with me,
49.5%
Exchange it for a discount on
my new phone, 30.7%
Sell it offline, 10.5%
Sell it online on Cashify, 5.4%
Sell it online on OLX / Quikr,
4.0%
What people do with their old smartphone
31% said they would exchange it for a discount on a new phone

45. Recap
o 70% people are planning to buy a new phone in 2023
o 27% people own a 5G phone today
o Almost 35% people would opt for EMIs to buy a new phone
o 33% people would get a new credit card or cardless EMI card for a good
discount on a new phone
o 39% people would pay extra for extended warranty on their new phone
o 43% people would buy a new smartphone through smartphone upgrade
programs
o 31% people would exchange their old smartphone for a discount on a new
phone