The Philippines is now considered the fastest-growing market for smartphones in Southeast Asia, with a staggering 326% increase in smartphone sales in 2012
The TNS "Mobile Life 2013" survey revealed an interesting profile of Filipino smartphone users.
Below are some of the highlights.
Filipinos are social
About 75% of Metro Manila respondents surveyed are taking photos or videos with their smartphones (up from 73% in the 2012 survey), 45% are browsing the Internet (up from 32% in 2012), 44% are accessing social networking sites (up from 34% in 2012), and 37% are checking their emails (up from 23% in 2012).
1. Filipinos are social
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According to the survey, the top functions Filipinos use their smartphones for are SMS/text messaging, listening to music, taking photos/videos and playing games.
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2. Filipinos care more about use than looks
According to de Ocampo, there has been a change in purchasing priorities from buying a phone based on its physical design to choosing a phone based on the right features that enhance personal experience.
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3. Filipinos find data plans too expensive
In terms of data, Filipino smartphone users prefer to connect to the Internet via wi-fi access in public areas.
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4. Filipinos prefer Samsung over Apple
Samsung is more popular in Manila than Apple mostly due to its affordability. However, Apple iPad remains to be an aspirational product as consumers prefer it more than any other brand in the market, the survey found.
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