The new age mobile applications like live TV and video calling will bring about the next level of growth in the cellular industry, says a study. "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," says the study prepared by research firm TNS.
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 per cent in India.
Social networking is expected to grow significantly with 23 per cent 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 per cent), but more than half (55 per cent) do not have the ability to do so.
"With consumer preferences shifting in favour of other form factors, handset manufacturers and content providers will need to make their product range feature rich and at the same time engaging for the young consumers with infotainment services like stream music, live TV, video, access to social networking sites being some of the key growth avenues,"
TNS India Senior Vice President Technology & B2B Parijat Chakraborty said.
Many emerging market users out-pace their western counterparts, and lead the demand for the latest mobile technologies, the study said.
About 31 per cent 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 per cent).
In India, handset brands (36 per cent) are considered an important factor in product decision making and have maintained their commitment. However, content brands (29 per cent to 37 per cent) have leapfrogged and overpowered network brands (35 per cent to 27 per cent) in the last 12 months.
"Emergence of content as a strong contender in the entire ecosystem further reiterates the need to adopt a more collaborative approach in order to achieve sustained growth," Parijat said.
