Google and Ipsos has recently discovered Malaysians’ behaviour when it comes to smartphone purchases and the factors that affect their purchasing decisions.
According to the research, most Malaysians choose to purchase brand new phones independently compared to second hand phones or phones that are bundled with postpaid plans. One might assume that the price factor is the primary factor that affects Malaysians’ purchasing decision, but that is in fact untrue. 61% of the sample size (929 individuals) prioritises the price factor, but it was discovered that battery life, operating systems and internal specs have a higher percentage when it comes to purchasing factor.
Despite the pricing being less important to other factors, it is still fairly important — especially those who fall within the age range between 36 to 55 years old. With e-commerce platforms being used widely, the study also revealed that 1 in 4 smartphones are bought online instead of in-store. While previously there are more urban consumers who will purchase smartphones online, the current study has proven that 27% of rural consumers are now making online smartphone purchases while the number of urban consumers are less at 23%.
In addition, the study shows the top three profiles to be Avid Researchers, Brand Loyalists and In-Store Deciders. These three profiles totalled up to 78% of the sample size, with Avid Researchers comprising of 48% of the research subjects. This means that almost half of Malaysian consumers will actually do extensive research before they purchase smartphones — an indication that Malaysians are now more technology-conscious. On the other hand, there are about 22% of Malaysians who stay loyal to their chosen brand and are less likely to switch from one brand to another.
Malaysian consumers are now relying on digital platforms to research about smartphones and some to even purchase the smartphones. Most of them will look for smartphone reviews — both written and video, though the former has a higher percentage of 59% compared to the 39% who watches review videos. Other research activities that are performed includes going to the physical stores and doing price comparison.