Smartphone choices of Filipinos offer an interesting glimpse of the Filipino psyche. Filipinos are so in love with technology and one of the more obvious manifestations of this is the high rate or smartphone ownership. It is interesting to know what the biggest influencing factor is in the choices they make. Is it the latest technology, brand loyalty, or is it the price? Information provided by the price comparison platform PricePanda Philippines reveals some interesting facts.

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Brand

Filipinos seemed to have narrowed down their choices to at least four brands when it comes to smartphones: Samsung, Apple, LG, and HTC. Among these brands,Samsung appear to lead because of its price. However, latest studies would show that Samsung smartphones have higher depreciation levels than others. This means that their prices fall faster which can be good or bad depending on who is looking. Owners intending to resell them will have to settle for low trade in values. This is obviously beneficial however for buyers of these phones because they can obtain them for a lower price.

Price

Data shows that the Samsung Galaxy S4 is a preferred smartphone model among Filipinos. This is in spite of the fact that it is not even a new technology considering that it was launched in March 2013 yet. At the time of its release, the cost was PHP 36,206. It can now be bought 34% cheaper for a price of about PHP 23,792. This trend is not seen in Apple smartphones since the push is always focused on new series and models. It would appear that Filipinos prefer to wait it out for a while to get the same smartphone for a cheaper price.

Features and Technology

Based on the preference for the above mentioned smartphone model, it can be concluded that Filipinos are fans of big screens. Other major considerations on smartphone features include camera quality, battery life, and storage capacity. For the majority of Filipino smartphone owners however, price is still the major consideration.

My Say

With almost 6 million smartphones sold in the Philippines within a one-year period, it is evident that Filipinos represent a major market segment in the industry. Aside from the obvious preference for smartphones, manufacturers will do well to remember that price plays a big role in purchase decisions. Yes, Filipinos love technology but price comparison will never be eliminated from the buying equation. This should partly explain why homegrown smartphone brands are seeing great potentials for their businesses here.