Research: Chinese Beginning To Love Smartphones

According to a new report from In-Stat, smartphones are about to become the new it device over in China. In-Stat attributes the upsurge in smartphone use to a host of factors, including the availability of third-party applications. The funny thing is, most Chinese users don't give a whit about the operating system, or productivity.That's right, they don't care what OS their new smartphone uses. They probably couldn't even tell you what OS it even is. Since the OS doesn't matter, what does?

"The most important three factors respondents would consider when purchasing their next smartphone are function, brand and price," said In-Stat analyst Raymond Yan in a prepared statement. "Security, Internet access and synchronization with PCs are the top three problems that existing smartphone users thought needed improvement."

Good thing, then, that more and more models are available with better designs and for cheaper prices. Research In Motion, for example, recently announced that it will begin selling BlackBerries in China. RIM's entrance into the market will address some of those issues.

The other thing that Chinese users don't seem to care all that much for is productivity. Smartphones are used more for entertainment purposes than for checking email and staying connected to the office. Whatever the reasons behind smartphone adoption, it is definitely on the upswing. Sales figures for 2006 doubled those of 2005, reaching 10.46 million units. This year is set for even higher numbers, which means that smartphones are reaching critical mass in the market.

Other bullet points in In-Stat's research notes that 97.9% of smartphone users would purchase another smartphone when their current smartphone dies. On top of that, Chinese smartphone users are wracking up an additional $25 per month (30% more) in wireless charges compared to non-smartphone users.