10)  How much do you spend – on average – per month on mobile services?

Question 11The most popular response (38 per cent) is between £10 and £20. Just over half (52 per cent) spend more than £20 a month on their mobile services, though a majority of our sample (70 per cent) spend no more than £30, possibly reflecting the financial constraints of a student’s budget.

 

 

11) When purchasing a new mobile device, what is the most important criteria for you?

Question 12A mixed set of results, suggesting that student consumers have different priorities when purchasing a new device. There is a fairly equal spread across three factors: device specs and functionality; device manufacturer; and pricing and tariffs. Significantly, only two per cent of respondents feel that the choice of network operator is an important factor when purchasing a new device.

12) When buying a new device, what is your preferred purchase method?

Question 13Despite the prevalence of e-commerce in today’s society, it is significant to note that less than a third (30 per cent) of the sampled students prefer this method of purchase when buying a new mobile device, and almost 70 per cent still like to go into a store (whether operator- or manufacturer-owned), and ‘test run’ the device they would like to buy.

This preference comes as a new business model is emerging in the industry, with smartphone newcomers such as Huawei Honor and Xiaomi eschewing the traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ approach to mobile device retailing, focusing instead on an online-only sales model.