Americans blindly trust their mobile carrier, more than 2 in 5 have never switched
- Nearly half of smartphone owners (45%) prefer their current mobile carrier due to trust in the company
- Most Americans (72%) believe their mobile carrier offers the best smartphone value
- 44% have never switched mobile carriers
- Only about a quarter (27%) consistently evaluate other options before upgrading their smartphone device
- 66% purchase either new or refurbished smartphones directly from the carrier
Q3 2019 hedge fund letters, conferences and more
To say Americans are attached to smartphones is hardly an understatement, given the majority of Americans (81%) own one, and willingly pay $211B per year in smartphone bills. To add to that, new phones frequently roll out, costing the average American more than $350 per upgrade – and yet, most continue to feed the mobile frenzy. But why?
Survey says
45% of smartphone owners prefer their current mobile carrier due to trust in the company, with most (72%) trusting that their carrier offers the best value. This carrier commitment is similarly evident in that 44% have never switched carriers, and only 27% consistently evaluate other options prior to upgrading through their carrier. To add to that, about a third (32%) of Americans have been with their wireless carrier for 6+ years.
As the need for a new smartphone arises, Americans are most likely to take the easy route and purchase a new phone directly from the mobile carrier. However, a little research goes a long way. For instance, buying a refurbished iPhone XS can save consumers over $425 on average. Savings for earlier models like the iPhone X are even higher at $460 on average. With 5G soon to become more widely available, carrier rates are only likely to increase. Yet, only 40% of consumers say they’re willing to pay an extra $10 monthly to access a 5G network from their carrier.
Do you trust your mobile carrier?
Decluttr CMO Liam Howley comments, “With the new 2019 phones from Android, Apple and others now on the market, consumers are deciding whether or not they’d like to upgrade, when they should be asking themselves how they will upgrade.
We found that consumers blindly trust their carriers and believe they are getting the best value when they should be annually checking in on their mobile device spending to determine whether they’re still getting the best deal.
The mobile device landscape is changing more than ever, and as consumers, we too should be evaluating and considering other options, including refurbished devices that often offer more value and savings than wireless mobile carriers.”
*This survey was fielded from August 1-5, 2019 and included 2,003 Americans who own smartphones. Consumer sample provided by panel provider, InnovateMR.
About Decluttr
Decluttr.com is a fast, easy and free way to sell cell phones, consumer tech like iPads, MacBooks, Consoles and wearables plus CDs, DVDs, games, books and Lego.
For more information on trade-in values, visit www.decluttr.com.
