Mobile Phone Market – Nokia Dominates

GSM Market, LG Leads CDMA

June 22, 2009
By sinha

Today mobile phones have moved beyond their primary role of voice
communications and have graduated to become an essential entertaining device for
mobile users. We are in an era where users buy mobile phones not just to be in touch,
today’s youth use it to express their thoughts, for social networking, to show their
interests, play games, read news, surf on the internet, listen to music, chat instantly with
friends & families and even check their bank balances. There are various phone
manufacturers providing handsets.

However, Nokia is the dominant player on the GSM space, accounting for 63% of the
installed base (phone’s currently in use) while LG rules CDMA with 48% of installed
base market share. On looking at urban India GSM/CDMA combined installed base,
Nokia is at the top with 54% of installed base market followed by LG (14%). LG is
second most used handset manufacturer India primarily due to its dominant position in
the CDMA.

Phone manufacturer usage

April 2009 ending quarterly Average - India Urban Mobile Phone Users (N=5,775)

Brands Installed base*

Total
GSM CDMA
(GSM + CDMA)
LG 4.4% 47.6% 14.4%
Motorola 7.8% 5.4% 7.2%
Nokia 62.6% 24.3% 53.7%
Samsung 9.0% 11.2% 9.5%
Sony-
Ericsson 8.9% 6.8%

* – Users currently using the phone model

On looking at the ability of manufacturers to gain market share via word of mouth,
Nokia and Sony-Ericsson fare a lot better compared to the other three big
manufacturers, with 2 out of 3 users for each of the two manufacturers mentioning they
are likely to recommend their handset to their friends.

Phone manufacturer usage

April 2009 ending quarterly Average – India Urban Mobile Phone Users (N=5,775)

Model Installed base*

Likely to Recommend**
LG 57.6%
Motorola 41.0%
Nokia 68.6%
Samsung 55.7%
Sony-Ericsson 65.3%
What mobile phone do you own?

2. What year was it purchased?

3. What influenced you purchase your phone? E.g. Brand, way it looks, technology?

4. Is the look of the phone important when being purchased?

5. Is the latest technology important to you when buying a phone?

6. Have you ever purchased a phone that you have become disappointed with soon after?
b. If yes, what disappointed you about the phone?
7. Do you think mobile phones are becoming harder to use?

8. If yes what makes phones today harder to use? (E.g. User interface, the size of the
phone, keys etc.)
More than one answer can be given

9. Please arrange the following in the order of importance to you when purchasing a
phone, starting with the most important:
The look of the phone, technology, ease of use, ability to be personalised, ergonomics of
the phone, phone specifications.

10. Please give a short review of your phone, describing –

How easy it is to use, what you think about the of the look of the phone, the way the
phone feels in your hand, and what you like and dislike about your phone in general.
Section A: Personal Informations
1. Name:

2. Gender Male 3. Marital Status Married 4. Age Group 10 - 20 30 - 50 5. Occupation

Self Employed Professional Salaried House wife Student Others 6. Education Level
University degree & above High School Elementary Level Illiterate 7. Income Level (per
month) < 10000 < 30000 < 50000 Greater than 50000 2 20 - 30 50 & Above Single
Female

Section B: About mobile phones

8) Which mobile phone you are using.
A) Nokia B) Samsung D) LG F) iPhone

C) Sony Ericson E) Motorola

G) Blackberry

H) Others

Specify 9) Please write the model of your phone (example: Nokia 1100, Ericson
k800i, etc.)

10)

How long you are using the mobile phone Less than 1 year 1 – 2 years 2 – 4 years Above
4 years

11)

What are the reasons for using the above mentioned model.
A) WAP B) Just to talk on it C) Use GPRS function D) Receive Email & SMS E) Down
Load Files F) Others (Specify

12)

How often do you change your mobile phone Less than 1 year 1 – 2 years 2 – 4 years
Above 4 years

13)

What phone Accessories do you have

A) Handsfree B) Bloothooth Head Set C) USB Data Cable D) Memory Card (SD Card)
E) Others
14)

Latest Mobile facilities which you are aware of:-

(Can tick multiple boxes of the facilities you know.)

A) GPRS B) 3G C) MMS D) BLOOTOOTH E) INFRARED F) VIDEO CALL G)
OTHER FACILITIES (Specify)

15)

What is your favourite brand in Mobiles?

(Please choose your 3 favorite brands in order of preference from the brands in the table
below. 1-most favorite, 3-least favorite.)

1
A) Nokia

B) Samsung C) Sony Ericson D) LG E) F) Motorola iPhone

G) Blackberry H) Others

Specify the brand. 16) Why you like the brands you chose above?

(Please indicate the important of below factors when you choose the brands. 1-very
important, 2-somewhat important, 3-neither important nor unimportant, 4-less important,
5- unimportant.)

1
A) B) C) D) E) F) G) H) I) Advertisement Appearance Price Functions Quality
Brand Image Service Recommended by friends Others

Specify.

17)

Do you prefer phones to be Slim or medium medium medium or or or thick heavy

large

Light or Small or

18)

What would you be willing to pay for a mobile phone < 10000 10000 to 20000 20000 to
40000 Any amount
19) Do you think prolonged use (use under long period) of mobile phone would cause
health problem e.g. cancer Yes 20) No No Comment

Where did you often see the mobile advertisement?

A) TV C) Magazine E) Outdoor G) Leaflets H) Others Please specify B) News Paper D)
Online F) Radio

21)

Consider the TV advertisement you like – what brand is it promoting

A) Nokia B) Samsung D) LG F) iPhone

C) Sony Ericson E) Motorola

G) Blackberry

H) Others

Specify

22)

Which of the following would impress you the most?

(Please indicate the important of below factors when you choose the brands. 1-very
important, 2-somewhat important, 3-neither important nor unimportant, 4-less important,
5- unimportant.)

1 A. B. C. D. E. F. G. Slogan Picture Color Story Spokesperson Music Others

H. Recommended by friends I. Others (Specify)

23)

After seeing the advertisement above did you like the mobile brand from then on.

(Briefly Explain the reason in the below box) Yes No

24)

What changes do you want the manufactures to make in their brands.

25)

Are there any general comments you would make about what you like/dislike
about mobile phones? (This could be pricing, location of sales, reception, colour,
memory, or anything else.)