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New age mobile apps to bring next level growth to cellular industry
By siliconindia
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Wednesday, 30 March 2011, 09:01 IST
New Delhi: According to a study done by research firm TNS, thanks to the new age mobile applications like live TV and video calling, the cellular industry will see the next level of growth.
The study says that while a majority of Indian consumers are driven by basic handset features of messaging and music, a growing proportion of young Indian consumers is expected to bring about the next level of growth for new age mobile technologies, around 'infotainment' features.
The study was conducted in 30 cities covering over 5,000 respondents. It aims at providing a wider understanding of consumer experiences with mobility, and insights into the way it will take shape in the near future.
The findings highlight that 'static' functionalities such as SMS and still imaging have become commoditised, and the growth will be driven by demand for social functionality and new demands for video calling, streaming and sharing services.
The number of mobile Web users visiting social networking sites accounts for only 3 percent in India. Social networking is expected to grow significantly with 23 percent users interested in making use of this service from their handsets, the study added.
Consumers in emerging markets like India, China and Brazil are more likely to want to upload content (49 percent), but more than half (55 percent) do not have the ability to do so.
Many emerging market users out-pace their western counterparts, and lead the demand for the latest mobile technologies, the study said.
About 31 percent consumers in India indicate that the ability to take and share pictures and video will play a major role in their choice of next device coming a close second to the handsets ability to store music (34 percent).
In India, handset brands (36 percent) are considered an important factor in product decision making and have maintained their commitment. However, content brands (29 percent to 37 percent) have leapfrogged and overpowered network brands (35 percent to 27 percent) in the last 12 months.