South Africans still prefer Samsung smartphones, despite the company's recent problems with the explosion-prone Note 7.
This is according to a new report by Effective Measure, the Interactive Advertising Bureau and Samsung, based on a survey of nearly 5 000 mobile Internet users across the country.
Some 40% preferred the Samsung brand, while only 10% chose the Apple iPhone, and 6% preferred either Nokia or Blackberry.
Last year, Samsung was forced to recall and cancel the whole product line of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 premium phablet device following a spate of incidents where the devices exploded. The company said the incidents were due to "issues in the battery of the device".
According to Craige Fleischer, director of integrated mobility at Samsung South Africa, the company has always focused on innovation, and as a result, the smartphones display and user interface are optimised to make browsing the Internet easy as possible.
"People recognise Samsung as a leader in the market and use our devices because they most closely match their needs as consumers. The lives of South African consumers are clearly changing as they become more connected than ever," he adds.
Products from HTC, Siemens and Motorola found no favour with the survey participants.
The report also revealed 42% of respondents use their cellphone (on average) for a period of between 30 minutes and two hours per day, while 18% use their cellphones for over five hours per day.
The importance of mobile connectivity to consumers is also highlighted in the report, as it states 78% of those surveyed indicated the last time they accessed the Internet via their phone was in the last 24 hours, 11% in the past seven days and under 3% in the past four months.
Top Internet searches included job information and directions, both sitting at 42%, with weather update information came in at 41%, while 40% said they search for contact information and news.
"The research shows mobile has well and truly become a daily part of our lives," says Greg Mason, regional lead at Effective Measure for Sub-Saharan Africa. "We rely on them [mobiles] more than we realise. Businesses marketing to their consumers need to keep this in mind when developing their strategies."
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