Consumers prioritise audio quality over camera in their smartphone: study

Indian Consumers are now prioritising audio quality over camera and battery as a key factors in their smartphone purchase, according to a new study by CyberMedia Research (CMR).

In fact, across all parameters, one in every four users has stated audio quality as the most important driver while selecting their smartphone.

For the first time ever, consumers are more tuned into ‘audio quality’, possibly driven by long hours spent alone in a homebound economy. In doing so, they are also seeking better, immersive experiences.

“Given the advancements in smartphone camera and battery, I believe consumers are mostly satisfied with industry-leading innovations therein. On the other hand, in the current homebound economy, consumers are becoming more aware, and paying more heed to audio quality. As such, they prioritising it amidst the new normal, from a communication and content consumption point of view,” said Satya Mohanty, Head of Industry Consulting Group, CMR.

According to Prabhu Ram, Head of Industry Intelligence Group, CMR, “These interesting findings provide us with a basis to better understand evolving consumer aspirations around smartphone audio. Consumers are now seeking infinitely better and immersive listening experiences, whenever and wherever they go. Across use cases, ranging from OTT consumption to mobile gaming & even UGC, consumers seek more high-quality sound. This is where brands with industry-leading innovations, such as Dolby, will stand to shine and fulfill consumer aspirations.”

The CMR study titled “What Audio Means for Indian Smartphone users?” categorizes Indian consumers, based on their audio consumption patterns, into three broad cohorts - Digital Natives who spend more than 20 hours weekly (39%), Digital Dependents who spend 10-20 hours weekly (44%), Digital Laggards who spend less than 10 hours weekly (17%).

Online content consumption – movies and music, have witnessed tremendous growth, driven by ubiquitous smartphones. Over the past few years, the rise of affordable and value for money smartphones has fueled content consumption, on-the-go, and at home.

According to the study, India loves to binge-watch on video streaming platforms, cutting across genres, including episodic content and user-generated video content on social media. In the midst of the pandemic, OTT platforms are benefiting from increased viewership, as well as new subscribers. Amongst the three cohorts, Digital Natives tend to spend more time on OTT platforms & rate audio as the most important factor considered while buying their current smartphone.

The study revealed that Indians consider audio quality as one of the most important factors in their next smartphone purchase with a score of 66 out of 100, followed by battery life at 61, and camera at 60. Smartphone users consume audio mostly through listening to music on popular audio OTT platforms (94%), watching video – movies, OTT content, or user-generated content on social networks (96%).

Preferred audio accessories include wired earplugs and earbuds – as 78% of the consumers prefer wired earplugs, while 65% indicate using earbuds.