CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR & PREFERENCE REGARDING DIFFERENT CELL PHONE BRANDS IN INDIA

Abstract

Mobile Phones have a huge market in the world and especially in India. With the inset of Multi- Nationals the want for a better lifestyle has turned into a need and more precisely the Mobile has become a necessity rather than a luxury commodity. Wireless and Cellular Phones are soon picking up the market in India as the demands of the consumers are growing. The Mobile Phone Market comprises of corporate giants playing in a cutting edge competitive environment. The sharks in the system namely Nokia, Samsung, Apple iPhone, Micromax, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, LG etc. introduce latest Mobile Phone Models at regular intervals in order to keep the smaller fishes aware of their superiority in the business. The range of accessories available for each Handset caters to the demands of all kinds of users. With the rising living standards, many Mobile Phone Stores have come up in India that offer the entire range available along with special Offers and Free Gifts. The Mobile phone sales have touched a new high ever since the introduction of technologies like Camera, Games, polyphonic Ringtones, extendable memories in the form of Memory Cards, Video Recording, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPRS etc. Carrying a camera or a camcorder is no longer a liability as you can capture any image in your Mobile phone and then transfer it to a computer with the help of a USB connector, or a card reader of the Mobile Phone Memory Card or use the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPRS operations for data transfer. Mobile Phones Games have captured the interests of youngsters and adults alike. Many people are actually addicted to them. The large and bulky gaming devices have reduced to either handheld video games that are certainly passé or the playstations that are way too expensive. The Mobile Phones offering various Gaming Softwares duly fill up the void. Introduction of polyphonic ringtones have been in literal sense music to the ears of the users. Music Players supporting the entire popular downloadable music format available and FM radio have reduced the role of music systems in the lives of amateur music lovers. In-built and Extendable Memory has enabled storage of more data, be it notes, music, videos etc. Mobile- to-Mobile and Mobile-to-Computer transfer of data is possible via Bluetooth, Infrared, Wi-Fi, GPRS, USB Connector. WAP provides interactive data services such as e-mails, music downloads, news etc. With all these available techniques, the Indian Mobile Users have a vast choice served to them. The consumption of Mobile Phones in India is touching new heights with the boom in the IT industry. The center places of the IT revolution in India, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai boast of numerous Mobile Phone Connections. Consequential to the arrival of newer and higher varieties in the market, Comparison among handsets as well as Companies is inevitable. As a promotional tool, the leaders in the field like Nokia, Samsung, I-Phone, Apple, Micromax, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, LG make regular market surveys to keep the Mobile Phone Prices in India affordable to the 6 mass consumers (mainly the middle class) and luring to the luxury consumers (mainly the elite). Online Mobile Stores also offer attractive Deals on Mobile Phones. Any detailed information regarding the Latest Models, Updated Price Lists, Reviews, Comparisons, Downloads, and even Ratings can be viewed online. Some websites providing useful information on Mobile Phones are: o Themobilestore.in o Flipkart.com o Snapdeal.com o indiahousing.com, o ebay.in, o futurebazaar.com o rediffshopping.com o Yehbhi.com In the current study, the researcher aims to understand consumer buying behavior and their taste & preference regarding the top brands in the cell phone industry in India. The researcher conducts quantitative research technique: Survey Method and Questionnaire and then evaluated primary and secondary research data to give suitable suggestions and recommendation.