Chennai: The appetite for data has increased among Indians as over the last 15 to 18 months, users are found to be consuming 1GB of data a day on their smartphones; a huge leap from the erstwhile average of 4GB a month.
The study was performed by Nielsen India which unveiled its featured insight titled “What smartphones say about customers”. The insight is based on analysis of the On-Device Measurement (ODM) data by dividing smartphones into three major price categories.
The categories are entry level (priced <Rs 5,000), middle level (priced between Rs 5,000-15,000) and premium handsets (priced between Rs 15,000-25,000).
Key findings of the study include,
* Despite the availability of economically priced smartphones, average smartphone prices are still increasing. The average cost has steadily risen from about Rs 7,700 in 2015 to about Rs 10,000 in 2017
* There is a strong correlation between the amount of time people use their handsets and the evolution of the usage. Half of Indias entry-level users are between 15 and 24 years old, mostly students, and can be assumed to be data-hungry, though less affluent than premium handset owners. Among premium handset users, 60 per cent are over 24 years old, primarily working professionals or self-employed. These users are usually affluent and data-hungry
* The highest engagement occurs on apps that consume a lot of data, like Facebook, WhatsApp Messenger, Instagram and Google Chrome on the Smartphones priced over Rs 15,000.
Commenting on the report, director -Technology IPG, Nielsen India, Abhijit Matkar, said, “The advent of high-speed 4G internet, less-expensive mobile handsets and a correction in call data charges have encouraged the speedy adoption of smartphones. To meet the demand of the mass market, new Chinese and Indian handset makers have launched affordable handsets, which are under INR 5,000. This sudden influx of affordable smartphones created a whole segment of new consumers who either upgraded from feature phones or were new mobile users altogether.”