Research reveals how people choose their cellphone

The old adage says ‘don’t judge a book by its cover,’ but it seems that’s just what consumers are doing when they choose which smartphone they want to buy next. A new study has found that people care most about aesthetics when deciding which phone to purchase. Following aesthetics, consumers ranked technical characteristics and functionality […]

The old adage says ‘don’t judge a book by its cover,’ but it seems that’s just what consumers are doing when they choose which smartphone they want to buy next.

A new study has found that people care most about aesthetics when deciding which phone to purchase.

Following aesthetics, consumers ranked technical characteristics and functionality as other factors influencing their purchase decisions.

Researchers from the University of Seville and the Catholic University of North Chile surveyed approximately 390 Brazilian and Chilean people to discern their attitudes about buying smartphones.

About 76 percent said they used a phone with an Android operating system, while just over 21 percent used an iPhone running on iOS.

They then asked the participants to rank whether aesthetics, color, form-factor, design or the feel of the phone mattered most.

They were told to assign it a value on a scale of five points between ‘strongly disagree’ and ‘totally agree.’

Researchers found that among the choices listed, that the shape of the smartphone was the most influential aesthetic element.

It seems there may be more factors at work behind consumers’ attachment to aesthetics.

The researchers analyzed previous studies on how design and aesthetics influence smartphone purchases.

‘The more attractive the image and design of the telephone, the stronger the emotional relationship that consumers are going to have with the product, which is a clear influence on their purchasing decision,’ the University of Seville said in a statement.

So it matters less whether or not the phone is a status symbol, as more value is placed on how it’s designed or feels when they hold it.