What actually sells mobile phones

[mafu6]

Dicuss

Everyone has their own opinions on what makes a good mobile phone, but actually selling units is what makes a mobile phone succesful.

Whats the key ingreidents?

Is it marketing? Is it specfic features? Is it the OS? Is it the brand?

Interesting to see peoples opinions on this.

Please no arguing its a discusion!

 

[pjs37]

At this point its hard to say but I would say Marketing is probably the biggest one coupled with a killer feature. Notice how each iPhone has one or two central killer features that everyone talks about, even if the reality turns out to be lackluster.

iPhone: Bringing a Smartphone to the masses
iPhone 3G: App Store (And I guess 3G)
iPhone 3GS: Speed and Video
iPhone 4: Retina + Facetime + New design (Like the iPhone reborn)
iPhone 4S: More Speed + Siri
iPhone 5: Bigger Screen and ?

Notice how they say things are faster but they don't worry about the exact specs just how much faster it will feel to you the user. How are these features going to matter to you the user and how you will use it its all about how the experience is seamless and just "works" so when regular people hear about it they can regurgitate it to others. I know at work everyone knows about how the iPhone will be announced soon and what is the reason I need to have one, and Apple does a really good job convincing people they need that killer feature. So that's why I think its marketing.

As for Android I think the only reason it took off was right place at the right time. A lot of people were on other carriers who couldn't gt an iPhone forever and so they got the next closest thing their carrier pushed onto them. I remember my friend on Verizon got a Voyager after I got an iPhone because the salesperson said it had a touchscreen like an iPhone. Yeah that thing was a piece of junk, but once the droid came out on Verizon the platform took off and as people bought more to fill the gap a lot of them stayed because they liked some of the features such as the navigation built in, the larger screens the devices had, the expandable memory etc. But honestly the only reason I think they got it at all is they wanted an iPhone but on Verizon and this was the closest thing. But again that was all about marketing to people saying "Looks we don't have an iPhone but here is what we have which is like an iPhone."

 

[X0LARIUM]

Functionality>Design(AKA looks)>OS>Size of the app store>Name of the brand

There is no ONE reason to like in a phone. For instance, I like the secruity MS has to offer, but someone who is a teenager, might like the colour of the device.

 

[mafu6]

Functionality>Design(AKA looks)>OS>Size of the app store>Name of the brand

There is no ONE reason to like in a phone. For instance, I like the secruity MS has to offer, but someone who is a teenager, might like the colour of the device.

Of course their isn't ONE reason many reasons factors.

Like the above post said, Marketing is one key strategy.

Convincing somebody that they need this new technology is what some companies do better than others.

regardless of OS what's the main factoring in choosing a mobile/cell phone?

 

[AngryNil]

Marketing to establish mind share, along with a feature to hold over rivals.

To retain the users and positive vibe, you need to match the popular uses of a device per the competition - that usually means having the right apps.

 

[Alex_Hong]

I won't even admit to even understanding what sells mobile phones. I think there are just too many factors at play. Look at Palm. They even took best of show at CES a few years back, but did they manage to make it big? Nope. So great product isn't the only thing. I think timing, marketing, design, etc all plays a part.

 

[Reflexx]

Marketing & Salespeople

"Killer features" are mainly killer features because they're marketed as so. I mean, seriously... Retina Display? It was marketer-speak for higher resolution. A high res screen isn't a killer feature, but a "Retina Display" is.

Then there's the salespeople. Salespeople in general want the easier sale. If there is a robust marketing campaign pushing a certain phone, then it becomes easier to sell. You already know all the buzz words to drop and don't need to really educate the buyer.

But salespeople can also be fans. And if they're a fan of something, they'll push it because it's what they know the most about. They know the good features, and will tell people that those features are important.

Also keep in mind that most salespeople are not professionals. The salesperson that might have the biggest influence on you might be your best friend, your spouse, you sibling, etc...

 

[sinime]

Advertising.

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express

 

[hc_1540]

Advertising.

Yep, got it in one. The average Joe will believe anything is the best thing in the world if you tell them enough times. Personally I go for build quality/materials, it used to be specs but I've grown up since then...

 

[larrynj]

Sales people sell phones.

Most of the people on this board are going to go in and make their own decision. A commercial, ad, sales person or even the price mean very little. We are going to buy it because we want it.

The average consumer is clueless. They are going to buy what someone makes them excited about. A friend, relative, ad, or sales person shows them one or 2 things that gets them excited and it's over. The could care less about the specs it's simply does it preform and do I look cool with it. How many people know how many horse power their car has?

 

[saintforlife]

There is only one correct answer here: "ECOSYSTEM"

If you don't have an ecosystem, don't even bother with the other things.

/thread

 

[fatclue_98]

There is only one correct answer here: "ECOSYSTEM"

If you don't have an ecosystem, don't even bother with the other things.

/thread

That might explain smartphones for enthusiasts like ourselves or "power users". Lest we forget that feature phones, AKA dumbphones, still rule the marketplace. From the outside looking in, I would have to say that ease of use is what determines sales. Think about it from the average consumer's viewpoint, you walk into a store and you see all these choices and you're lost. You then think about what your specific needs are and you gravitate to a couple of selections. After playing with them for a few minutes each, you make your decision. 9 times out of 10, it's the one you feel most comfortable with. The caveat is, no sales staff involved. If any of those sharks swim by you'll be walking out with the most spiff-laden model in the store.

 

[KingCrimson]

No doubt it's how hard the carriers and wireless stores pushing it, the ads on TV are secondary.

 

[Kredrian]

Walk into any mobile phone store, and just watch how the salespeople steer people to certain devices. The average consumer just wants a phone. Some will come looking for something specific, because their friend has it or something like that, but I have seen a lot of people just get whatever the sales person suggests to them.

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express

 

[mafu6]

Sales people really annoy me, everytime i go with a family member to get a new phone we walk into a store and just by speaking to us.

Most of my family are on smartphones now and each to their own have different OS. The last person to get a smartphone was my mother, after looking at a few phones before we went into the store she had a fairly good idea she what she wanted. After listening to the sales person rabble on for a little while about how good a certain fruit phone was I asked him what he had. He of course had this fruit phone, surprisengly. So I asked him a few not so techie questions and he hadn't a clue.

2 points here, as previously mentioned if the sales person is a fan (he wasnt a very good one tbh) then they will try and sell what they know. My 2nd point is the phone companies themselves have specfic targets to meet by selling specfic phones and this is pushed onto the sales people. If 'A' Company buys so many 'A' phones then they need to sell them.

Who makes the decisions on which phone we will buy more of than others are the ones with a lot of power in the mobile phone selling industry, you could say!

 

[KingCrimson]

I don't get it. I researched Windows Phone since it came out in 2010, watched dozens of videos, read hundreds of articles. By the time I was ready in April this year, I just went to the AT&T wireless store and asked for my black Lumia 900. No fuss, no muss. No salesperson had to pressure me. I knew what I wanted.

 

[mafu6]

I don't get it. I researched Windows Phone since it came out in 2010, watched dozens of videos, read hundreds of articles. By the time I was ready in April this year, I just went to the AT&T wireless store and asked for my black Lumia 900. No fuss, no muss. No salesperson had to pressure me. I knew what I wanted.

One of many few people that go in to a phone store and say "I am after such phone"

The average person or non smartphone user goes into said phone store and is bombarded with jargon that means nothing to them, then is led to what the seller wants them to buy. If ono the other hand as said you go in and ask for a specfic phone then the sales person generally think you have done your research and wont sway you either way.

I like what Nokia have done with the new pc app thing that scans your phone for new windows phone users and suggest what apps they should get. A bit more advertsiing of that with their new phones could convince some people locked into the fruits and robots ecosystems to 'maybe' switch across.

 

[pjs37]

I don't get it. I researched Windows Phone since it came out in 2010, watched dozens of videos, read hundreds of articles. By the time I was ready in April this year, I just went to the AT&T wireless store and asked for my black Lumia 900. No fuss, no muss. No salesperson had to pressure me. I knew what I wanted.

Well AT&T was supposed to be pushing sales of the Lumia 900 and gave all their employees one. So I am not surprised there was no fuss. I went to humor myself and acted like a browsing customer with no real commitment and I got the whole spiel on the Lumia 900 which is what I wanted to get but I decided to see what their sales pitch was like. She pushed the Lumia 900 really hard.

 

[anodynamic]

Sales people sell phones.

Most of the people on this board are going to go in and make their own decision. A commercial, ad, sales person or even the price mean very little. We are going to buy it because we want it.

The average consumer is clueless. They are going to buy what someone makes them excited about. A friend, relative, ad, or sales person shows them one or 2 things that gets them excited and it's over. The could care less about the specs it's simply does it preform and do I look cool with it. How many people know how many horse power their car has?

That lot of people don't have a clue is a fact. In some other comment I used the example of overhearing people with top of the line smartphones on the street saying things like "I think I'm somewhere nearby... yes, I know the address, but can you please tell me how to get there?". So, not only have they bought it, but they still haven't bothered to figure out what it can be used for.

I think "what others have" is an important factor. If you're insecure about technology, and you know several people with iPhones, that's most likely the first smartphone you'll get. With all those features it looks like an intimidating piece of tech, so you want to be able to ask someone about it so that you don't accidentally press the button that sells your house on eBay.

 

[cckgz4]

There is only one correct answer here: "ECOSYSTEM"

If you don't have an ecosystem, don't even bother with the other things.

/thread

That's what we're building up to but not there yet.