Youths switching cellphones frequently :survey

'Mobile phones have shifted from there primary role for providing voice communication and are now becoming multi-tasking devices as the number of wireless subscribers in the country reach 89.2 crore.People are changing handsets quite often with price of the handsets coming down and disposable incomes going up' according to The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).

In a survey conducted by (ASSOCHAM) in six major cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad among people belonging to the age group of 20-30 years, about 39 per cent of the respondents said that they switch to a new phone in less than two years for new applications.

'The responses depict that friends are the most important source of information while purchasing a handset.' said ASSOCHAM.

“The telecom industry must understand the importance of referrals. Manufacturers should try to associate themselves with events and causes which help in brand recognition,” said ASSOCHAM secretary general D.S. Rawat on the survey.

The brand influenced first purchase of a handset with 39 per cent of respondents, while price tag mattered to 17 percent of respondents, the survey reflected.

Applications, Bluetooth, GPRS, built-in camera, FM radio, Mp3 player, video recording and speaker phone were the key factors influencing purchase of most young mobile phone users.