Factors Affecting Consumer Behaviour Towards Smartphones: A Study on Samsung

This study aims to identify which factors affect consumer behaviour towards smartphones, particularly for Samsung. The study focuses on appearance, price, security features, and camera functions. The research objectives, hypotheses, literature review, research methods, and results are discussed.

Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary
2. Introduction
1. Statement of the Problem
2. Purpose of the Study
3. Research objectives
1. Hypotheses
2. Literature Review
3. Appearance
4. Price
5. Security Features
6. Camera Functions
4. Research Method
1. Subjects
2. Research Instrument(s)
3. Data Collection Method
4. Statistical Analysis
5. Limitations
5. Results (Data Analysis)
1. Questionnaire Data Analysis (Frequency Analysis)
2. Cross Tabulation 1
3. Cross Tabulation 2
4. Cross Tabulation 3
5. Cross Tabulation 4
6. Strategic Recommendations
1. Marketer/Client
2. Future Research
7. Conclusion
8. References
9. Appendices

1. Executive Summary
Samsung is currently known globally for their brand image as well as for being the largest
producers of electronic devices, one being their smartphones. With the rise of smartphones
and multiple smartphone brands, Samsung faces the risk of losing out to their competitors in
the market. The purpose of this study is to identify which factors affect consumer behaviour
towards smartphones, and in doing so, Samsung can then work on improving their products
focusing on these specific factors to attract more consumers to purchase their products.
2. Introduction
2.1. Statement of the Problem
There is an increasing trend in smartphones all over the world, multiple brands are rising up
the charts and there is also an increase in competition from other android brands such as
Xiaomi, Huawei, Google, etc. Samsung faces the risk of losing consumers to these other
brands. There are multiple factors involving the purchase of smartphones. Inexpensive
smartphones are being sold with the same features but people still prefer spending more for
expensive smartphones. Why do people do that? Is it because of the brand image? Or is it
something else? (Mohan, 2014). Samsung wants to identify any particular factor that is
responsible for the influence of consumer behaviour towards smartphones particularly.
There are plenty of important factors that can unitedly help to generate a great deal of
impact on the consumers’ choice and attract them effectively.
2.2. Purpose of the Study
To reduce the risk of losing consumers to other android brands, Samsung wants to identify a
range of factors in terms of the appearance, price, security features and camera functions
that are directly influencing the consumers’ behaviour to buy smartphones. This is to further
improve on their smartphones in order to keep up with the competition.
3. Research objectives
 To identify the relationships among appearance, price, security features and camera
functions when buying a smartphone.
 To analyse the impact of appearance, price, security features and camera functions
in order to influence consumers’ behaviour in buying smartphones.
 To recommend a collaborative measure of the factors to influence the purchasing
decision of a smartphone buyer.
3.1. Hypotheses
H1: Perception of the importance of the Appearance (IV) of smartphones influences the
likelihood to recommend (DV).
H2: Perception of the importance of the Pricing (IV) of smartphones influences the likelihood
to recommend (DV).

H3: Perception of the importance of the Security Features (IV) of smartphones influences the
likelihood to recommend (DV).
H4: Perception of the importance of the Camera Function (IV) of smartphones influences the
likelihood to recommend (DV).
Note: IV stands for independent variable, DV stands for dependent variable.
Literature Review
3.1. Appearance
According to the research of Toufani, Stanton and Chikweche (2017), it can be stated that
the appearance of products always influence or attract consumers to buy the product. It is
also the same in the case of smart phones where the consumers also consider the aesthetic
value as an important aspect before buying a smartphone.
Filieri and Lin (2017) pointed out the appearance as a core psychological notion that drives
the customers to like a product. For smartphones, the smart looks and user-friendly get up is
always considered to be an important factor that motivates consumers to buy that particular
phone.
3.2. Price
Price has definitely played a pivotal role in order to influence the buyers and their mindsets
before purchasing any product. From the research of Li et al. (2016), it can be derived that
most business organisations are considering their pricing strategy a strategic tool to
penetrate the market and maximise the number of customers.
The quality of the products or the servicing quality is identified as the mainstay of the
business strategy for establishing an effective business orientation. In the case of
smartphone consumers, the quality or the features of the phone with its brand image are the
determinant factors for shaping the pricing of a particular product.
3.3. Security Features
In today’s modern society, smartphones are capable of location services such as GPS, map
navigations, sharing your location and financial transactions such as online banking. These
things require multiple safety measures to ensure that all information is protected in one’s
smartphone. Consumers would prefer having a smartphone that assures them that their
personal and sensitive information will be 100% protected. There are 6 security enhancing
actions in an average smartphone which includes password protection, up-to-date software

systems, anti-virus software, encryption, no possession of personal and sensitive information
and the reviewing of security features before downloading an application (Das and Khan,
2018).
3.4. Camera Functions
People nowadays rely on their smartphones due to factors such as its great camera
functions. In today’s modern society, it is considered to be one of the most important
functions in a smartphone due to the current trend of social media such as Instagram and
Facebook where uploading photos and videos are big. It is also found that consumers tend
to purchase smartphones with at least 5 megapixels in their camera (Crothers, 2011).
4. Research Methods
4.1. Subjects
The target audience will be people aged between 20 to 40. The purpose of choosing this age
range is to get adequate information from the buyers of adult age and consider all the three
independent variables properly. The sample size will be 60 respondents irrespective of
gender.
4.2. Research Instrument(s)
Research instruments such as SoGoSurvey, various social media platforms (eg Facebook)
and SPSS software were used.
SoGoSurvey was used as a platform for the group’s questionnaire to be done online and
responses were collated from there.
Various social media platforms and word of mouth were used to collect data for the group’s
questionnaire and to better target the desired target audience.
The SPSS software was used to analyse the results gathered for the purposes of this
research study.
4.3. Data Collection Method
The group has conducted primary data collection using causal research, with a survey
questionnaire to find out if there are relationships among appearance, price, security
features and camera functions (and the impact of them) when buying a smartphone. The
questionnaire consists of mainly multiple choice structured questions as well as likert scale
questions to gauge consumer attitude. The questions were phrased in a way that was easily
comprehensible for the participants, allowing them to answer the questions with ease.

4.4. Statistical Analysis
In the survey, respondents were made to first answer 6 general questions, with the rest
being likert-scale questions. The likert-scale questions were clustered based on the 4
independent variables (Appearance, Price, Security Features and Camera Functions) as
well as the impact of these 4 variables on the dependent variable (Likelihood to
Recommend) in the questionnaire and in SPSS.
Ranging from 1 to 5, with ‘1 = Strongly Disagree’ to ‘5’ = Strongly Agree’, as well as ‘1 =
Very Irrelevant’ to ‘5 = Very Relevant’, and ‘1 = Will highly not recommend’ to ‘5 = Will highly
recommend’, all measures for each question were discussed and recommended by the
group. From here, a general frequency analysis and cross tabulations were conducted in
SPSS in order to facilitate the investigation of the research objectives.
4.5. Limitations
A number of limitations should be taken into account when assessing the findings of the
group’s research study. Firstly, a limited time frame was given in conducting this research
study. Hence, certain aspects may have been compromised, such as insufficient desired
sampling size for the quantitative research (targeting only a mere 60 participants as
compared to say, 100) and the research study not being as detailed as it can possibly get. In
addition, the expertise of the researchers who conducted this study should also be taken into
consideration, given that they are all undergraduate students rather than professional
researchers.
5. Results
Questionnaire Data Analysis (Frequency Analysis)
Q1

Gender?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Male 33 55.0 55.0 55.0
Female 27 45.0 45.0 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 55% of them are males while 45% of them are females.
Despite the majority of the respondents being male, the difference in the percentage
of male to female is only 10%, or in numbers, 6. This is only a small difference in the
amount of male and female respondents. Therefore, we can conclude that the
sample is not gender bias as the amount of male and female respondents are almost
equal.
Q2
Age Group?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid < 20 years old 15 25.0 25.0 25.0
21 - 30 years old 22 36.7 36.7 61.7
31 - 40 years old 18 30.0 30.0 91.7
> 40 years old 5 8.3 8.3 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 61.7% of them are aged 30 years old or younger.
Therefore, we can conclude that the majority of the respondents are teenagers or
young adults. Children were not mentioned as they are financially incapable of
purchasing smartphones. The remaining 38.3% of the respondents are 31 years old
and above which are adults.
Q3
Highest level of education?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid High School 14 23.3 23.3 23.3

Diploma 23 38.3 38.3 61.7
Bachelor's Degree 22 36.7 36.7 98.3
Masters/ P.H.D 1 1.7 1.7 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 76.7% of them have an education level of Diploma and
above. This indicates that majority of the respondents are highly educated and are
more likely to be able to exhibit critical thinking skills and would most likely answer
the questionnaire with thought.
Q4
How much are you willing to spend on a smartphone?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid < $200 6 10.0 10.0 10.0
$201 - $500 19 31.7 31.7 41.7
$501 - $999 22 36.7 36.7 78.3
$1000 and above 13 21.7 21.7 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Research found that 58.3% of the respondents are willing to spend $501 and above
on a smartphone. This indicates that majority the respondents who are willing to
spend $501 and above are willing to pay more to purchase a smartphone with
unique features and/or additional functions. This could also mean that majority of
them are brand conscious as pricier smartphones are usually from the frontrunners
smartphone companies like Samsung, Apple, etc.
Q5
Which of the following smartphone brands are you currently using?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent

Valid Samsung 23 38.3 38.3 38.3
Apple 32 53.3 53.3 91.7
Others 5 8.3 8.3 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 91.7% of them own a smartphone that are either the
Samsung or Apple brand. However, 53.3% of the respondents are Apple
smartphone owners. As majority of the respondents are Apple smartphone owners,
Samsung can utilize this date to understand the preferences of non-Samsung
smartphone owners and most importantly the Apple smartphone owners, as Apple is
most likely Samsung biggest competition.
Q6
You were influenced to buy this phone by?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Friends/Family 21 35.0 35.0 35.0
Internet 14 23.3 23.3 58.3
Reputation 17 28.3 28.3 86.7
Others 8 13.3 13.3 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 35% of them were influenced to buy their phones by either
their friends’ or family recommendation. This indicates that the word-of-mouth
marketing should be prioritize as majority of the respondents were made known of
the smartphone or are convinced to purchase the smartphone through the word-of-
mouth from their friends and family.
Q7
How relevant is price when purchasing a smartphone?

Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Very Irrelevant 2 3.3 3.3 3.3
Irrelevant 1 1.7 1.7 5.0
Neutral 8 13.3 13.3 18.3
Relevant 21 35.0 35.0 53.3
Very Relevant 28 46.7 46.7 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 81.7% of them indicated that price of a smartphone is a
relevant factor when making a purchasing decision on a smartphone. As majority of
the respondents indicated that they would take the pricing of a smartphone into
consideration when making a purchasing decision, Samsung should find out the
price one would willing to pay and work around that price.
Q8
How relevant is battery life when purchasing a smartphone?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Very Irrelevant 2 3.3 3.3 3.3
Irrelevant 1 1.7 1.7 5.0
Neutral 9 15.0 15.0 20.0
Relevant 25 41.7 41.7 61.7
Very Relevant 23 38.3 38.3 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 80% of them indicated that battery life of a smartphone is a
relevant factor when making a purchasing decision on a smartphone. As majority of
the respondents indicated that battery life is an relevant factor, it is advisable for
Samsung to request their research and development team to develop batteries that
have the longest life span among the other competition smartphones.
Q9
How relevant is camera functions when purchasing a smartphone?

Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Very Irrelevant 2 3.3 3.3 3.3
Irrelevant 1 1.7 1.7 5.0
Neutral 9 15.0 15.0 20.0
Relevant 19 31.7 31.7 51.7
Very Relevant 29 48.3 48.3 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 80% of them considered camera functions as a relevant
factor when making a purchasing decision of a smartphone. Samsung should strive
to create unique camera functions that divides Samsung smartphones from the other
competition as majority of the respondents indicated camera functions as a relevant
factor.
Q10
How relevant is screen size when purchasing a smartphone?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Very Irrelevant 2 3.3 3.3 3.3
Irrelevant 4 6.7 6.7 10.0
Neutral 11 18.3 18.3 28.3
Relevant 20 33.3 33.3 61.7
Very Relevant 23 38.3 38.3 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 71.7% of them considered screen size as a relevant factor
when making a purchasing decision of a smartphone. As majority of the respondents
considered screen size a relevant factor, this might indicate that the respondents
prefer smartphone that have big screen size for easy and better viewing experience.
Therefore, Samsung should produce smartphone with bigger screen size for their
upcoming models.
Q11

How relevant is security features when purchasing a smartphone?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Very Irrelevant 2 3.3 3.3 3.3
Irrelevant 1 1.7 1.7 5.0
Neutral 6 10.0 10.0 15.0
Relevant 25 41.7 41.7 56.7
Very Relevant 26 43.3 43.3 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 85% of them indicated that security feature is a relevant
factor when making a purchasing decision on a smartphone. As the majority
considered security features as a relevant factor, Samsung should create a
smartphone with advanced security features to protect consumers’ sensitive
information and therefore, improving the consumers’ belief in Samsung’s products.
Q12
How relevant is brand image when purchasing a smartphone?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Very Irrelevant 1 1.7 1.7 1.7
Irrelevant 2 3.3 3.3 5.0
Neutral 17 28.3 28.3 33.3
Relevant 25 41.7 41.7 75.0
Very Relevant 15 25.0 25.0 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 66.7% of them indicated that brand image is a relevant
factor when making a purchase decision on a smartphone. As the majority
considered brand image as a relevant factor, Samsung should strive to maintain or
improve it’s already established brand name.
Q13

How relevant is appearance when purchasing a smartphone?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Very Irrelevant 1 1.7 1.7 1.7
Irrelevant 3 5.0 5.0 6.7
Neutral 8 13.3 13.3 20.0
Relevant 27 45.0 45.0 65.0
Very Relevant 21 35.0 35.0 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 80% of them indicated that appearance of a smartphone is
a relevant factor when making a purchasing decision. As the majority of the
respondents considered appearance of a smartphone as a relevant factor, Samsung
should create unique smartphone design and research on designs that appeal the
most to majority of the consumers.
Q14
How relevant is quality when purchasing a smartphone?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Very Irrelevant 1 1.7 1.7 1.7
Irrelevant 1 1.7 1.7 3.3
Neutral 3 5.0 5.0 8.3
Relevant 19 31.7 31.7 40.0
Very Relevant 36 60.0 60.0 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 91.7% of them indicated that the quality of a smartphone is
a relevant factor when making a purchasing decision. As the majority of the
respondents considered quality a relevant factor, Samsung should create durable
smartphones to improve the confidence of consumers towards Samsung products.
Q15

High prices should be justified for high-end smartphones
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly Disagree 1 1.7 1.7 1.7
Disagree 1 1.7 1.7 3.3
Neutral 11 18.3 18.3 21.7
Agree 20 33.3 33.3 55.0
Strongly Agree 27 45.0 45.0 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the respondents, 78.3% of them agrees that high prices should be justified for
high-end smartphones. Therefore, we can conclude that majority of the respondents
are willing to pay more for better quality products.
Q16
Price of the smartphone should be based on it's quality
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly Disagree 2 3.3 3.3 3.3
Disagree 5 8.3 8.3 11.7
Neutral 5 8.3 8.3 20.0
Agree 21 35.0 35.0 55.0
Strongly Agree 27 45.0 45.0 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the respondents, 80% of them agrees that price of the smartphone should be
based one it’s quality. Therefore, we can conclude that majority of the respondents
agree that a superior quality smartphone that has a high life expectancy should be
pricier.

Q17
You are able to update your current smartphone software often
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly Disagree 1 1.7 1.7 1.7
Disagree 2 3.3 3.3 5.0
Neutral 8 13.3 13.3 18.3
Agree 32 53.3 53.3 71.7
Strongly Agree 17 28.3 28.3 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 81.7% of them are able to update their current smartphone
software. As majority of the respondents agree, we can conclude that the most of
them own a smartphone that has came out no more than 6 years ago as their
smartphones are able to update its’ software and are not obsolete.
Q18
You like to have advanced smartphone features
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly Disagree 1 1.7 1.7 1.7
Disagree 1 1.7 1.7 3.3
Neutral 4 6.7 6.7 10.0
Agree 25 41.7 41.7 51.7
Strongly Agree 29 48.3 48.3 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 90% of the respondents like to have advanced features on
their smartphones. As the majority of the respondents agree, we can conclude that a
newly release smartphone with better and/or unique feature would most likely entice
consumers into changing their smartphone.

Q19
Your smartphone is linked with high technology software
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly Disagree 1 1.7 1.7 1.7
Disagree 1 1.7 1.7 3.3
Neutral 8 13.3 13.3 16.7
Agree 31 51.7 51.7 68.3
Strongly Agree 19 31.7 31.7 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 83.3% of them agree that their smartphones are compatible
with high technology software. As the majority of the respondents agree, we can
make an assumption that the respondents own smartphones that are released not
too many years ago.
Q20
Smartphones should have unique and innovative software
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly Disagree 1 1.7 1.7 1.7
Disagree 2 3.3 3.3 5.0
Neutral 11 18.3 18.3 23.3
Agree 24 40.0 40.0 63.3
Strongly Agree 22 36.7 36.7 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 76.7% of them agree that smartphones should have unique
and innovative software. As the majority of the respondents agree, Samsung should
strive to create smartphones with unique and innovative software to satisfy the
consumers.

Q21
Will you recommend a smartphone which selling point is it's appearance to a friend?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Will highly not recommend 2 3.3 3.3 3.3
Will not recommend 6 10.0 10.0 13.3
Neutral 13 21.7 21.7 35.0
Will recommend 32 53.3 53.3 88.3
Will highly recommend 7 11.7 11.7 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 65% of them will recommend to a friend a smartphone
which has a unique or good-looking appearance as it’s selling point. As majority of
the respondents will recommend, Samsung should prioritize on designing an
appealing and unique phone design.
Q22
Will you recommend a smartphone which selling point is it's pricing to a friend?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Will highly not recommend 2 3.3 3.3 3.3
Will not recommend 2 3.3 3.3 6.7
Neutral 10 16.7 16.7 23.3
Will recommend 25 41.7 41.7 65.0
Will highly recommend 21 35.0 35.0 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 76.7% of them will recommend to a friend a smartphone
which has an affordable price or value for it’s money. As majority of the respondents
will recommend, Samsung should try to create a value for money smartphone to
entice consumers into buying their smartphones.

Q23
Will you recommend a smartphone which selling point is it's security feature to a friend?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Will highly not recommend 2 3.3 3.3 3.3
Will not recommend 1 1.7 1.7 5.0
Neutral 11 18.3 18.3 23.3
Will recommend 20 33.3 33.3 56.7
Will highly recommend 26 43.3 43.3 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 76.7% of them will recommend to a friend a smartphone
which selling point is it’s security feature. As majority of the respondents will
recommend, Samsung should create a smartphone with strong security feature to
entice consumer into recommending the phone through word-of-mouth.
Q24
Will you recommend a smartphone which selling point is it's camera functions to a friend?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Will highly not recommend 2 3.3 3.3 3.3
Will not recommend 2 3.3 3.3 6.7
Neutral 7 11.7 11.7 18.3
Will recommend 28 46.7 46.7 65.0
Will highly recommend 21 35.0 35.0 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 71.7% of them will recommend to a friend a smartphone
which selling point is it’s camera functions. As majority of the respondents will
recommend, Samsung should strive to include more camera functions or create new
camera functions on their smartphone to entice consumer into recommending
through word-of-mouth.

Q25
Appearance, price and advanced technology have a direct impact on the consumer's
attitude to buy smartphones. Do you agree with this statement?
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly Disagree 1 1.7 1.7 1.7
Disagree 1 1.7 1.7 3.3
Neutral 4 6.7 6.7 10.0
Agree 21 35.0 35.0 45.0
Strongly Agree 33 55.0 55.0 100.0
Total 60 100.0 100.0
Of the total respondents, 90% of them agree that appearance, price and advanced
technology have a direct impact on the consumer’s attitude to buy smartphones. As
majority of the respondents agree, we can conclude that the respondents find
appearance, price and advanced technology of smartphone to be important factors
when making a purchasing decision.

5.1. Cross Tabulation 1
The results show the Cross Tabulation between (IV) Importance of the appearance of
smartphones [Q13] and (DV) likelihood to recommend [Q21].
H1(null): Perception of the importance of the Appearance (IV) of smartphones does not
influence the likelihood to recommend (DV).
H1(alternative): Perception of the importance of the Appearance (IV) of smartphones
influences the likelihood to recommend (DV).
Correlations
How relevant is
appearance when
purchasing a
smartphone?
Will you recommend a
smartphone which selling
point is it's appearance to a
friend?
How relevant is appearance
when purchasing a
smartphone?
Pearson
Correlation
1 .345
Sig. (2-
tailed)
.007
N 60 60
Will you recommend a
smartphone which selling point
is it's appearance to a friend?
Pearson
Correlation
.345 1
Sig. (2-
tailed)
.007
N 60 60
Based on the table above, the correlation coefficient is 0.345 which indicates a moderate
positive linear relationship. This means that if an individual were to perceive appearance of a
smartphone as an important factor, that individual would likely recommend the smartphone
to others. The p-value of 0.007 is lesser than the alpha value of 0.05 and therefore we will

reject the null hypothesis. Hence, an individual with the perception of appearance of
smartphone being important will recommend it.
If an individual would deem appearance of any smartphone as important factor, that
individual will find an interest in owning a smartphone with a unique design or is aesthetically
appealing. A person who practices the usage of word-of-mouth often talked about
compelling products. (Berger & Schwartz, 2014) Therefore, a good looking phone would
peek that individual interested and he or she would most likely to engage in word-of-mouth,
recommending the phone.
5.2. Cross Tabulation 2
The results show the Cross Tabulation between (IV) Importance of the price of smartphones
[Q7] and (DV) likelihood to recommend [Q22].

H2(null): Perception of the importance of the Pricing (IV) of smartphones does not influence
the likelihood to recommend (DV).
H2(alternative): Perception of the importance of the Pricing (IV) of smartphones influences
the likelihood to recommend (DV).
Correlations
How relevant is price
when purchasing a
smartphone?
Will you recommend a
smartphone which selling
point is it's pricing to a friend?
How relevant is price when
purchasing a smartphone?
Pearson
Correlation
1 .156
Sig. (2-tailed) .233
N 60 60
Will you recommend a
smartphone which selling point
is it's pricing to a friend?
Pearson
Correlation
.156 1
Sig. (2-tailed) .233
N 60 60
Based on the findings from the correlation table above, we noted that the correlation
coefficient is 0.156 which indicates a very weak linear relationship. This means that if an
individual would perceive that the pricing of phone is important, that individual will have a low
likelihood of recommending the smartphone to others. However, the p-value of 0.233 is more
than the alpha value of 0.05. Therefore, we fail to reject the null hypothesis despite having a
very weak relationship. In other words, the perception of importance on pricing of
smartphone does not influence the likelihood to recommend the smartphone
With reference to the responses from the questionnaire, despite having the majority of
respondents being willing to recommend a smartphone due to it’s pricing, those individuals

do not necessarily see pricing as a relevant factor when making a purchasing decision.
However, based on the research we have done, most businesses use pricing strategy as a
strategic tool to penetrate the market and maximise the number of consumers (Li, 2016).
5.3. Cross Tabulation 3
The results show the Cross Tabulation between (IV) Importance of the security features of
smartphones [Q11] and (DV) likelihood to recommend [Q23].
H3(null): Perception of the importance of the Security Features (IV) of smartphones does not
influence the likelihood to recommend (DV).
H3(alternative): Perception of the importance of the Security Features (IV) of smartphones
influences the likelihood to recommend (DV).

Correlations
How relevant is security
features when purchasing
a smartphone?
Will you recommend a
smartphone which selling point
is it's security feature to a
friend?
How relevant is security
features when purchasing a
smartphone?
Pearson
Correlation
1 .285
Sig. (2-
tailed)
.027
N 60 60
Will you recommend a
smartphone which selling point
is it's security feature to a
friend?
Pearson
Correlation
.285 1
Sig. (2-
tailed)
.027
N 60 60
Based on the correlation table above, the correlation coefficient is 0.285 which indicates a
weak linear relationship. This means that if an individual perceives that the security features
of phone is important, that individual will have a somewhat low likelihood of recommending
the smartphone to others. The p-value of 0.027 is lesser than the alpha value of 0.05 and
therefore we will reject the null hypothesis. Hence, an individual with the perception of
security features of smartphone being important will recommend it.
With reference to the responses from the questionnaire, despite having a big number of
respondents being willing to recommend a smartphone due to its security features, not all
individuals necessarily see security features as a relevant factor when making a purchasing
decision. This is also shown in the article of Alsaleh, Alomar, & Alarifi (2017) where there
were mixed reviews on the perception of security features of smartphone being important
which vary depending on the type of security features.

5.4. Cross Tabulation 4
The results show the Cross Tabulation between (IV) Importance of the camera functions of
smartphones [Q9] and (DV) likelihood to recommend [Q24]
H4(null): Perception of the importance of the Camera Function (IV) of smartphones does not
influence the likelihood to recommend (DV).
H4(alternative): Perception of the importance of the Camera Function (IV) of smartphones
influences the likelihood to recommend (DV).
Correlations

How relevant is camera
functions when
purchasing a
smartphone?
Will you recommend a
smartphone which selling
point is it's camera functions
to a friend?
How relevant is camera
functions when purchasing a
smartphone?
Pearson
Correlation
1 .201
Sig. (2-
tailed)
.123
N 60 60
Will you recommend a
smartphone which selling point
is it's camera functions to a
friend?
Pearson
Correlation
.201 1
Sig. (2-
tailed)
.123
N 60 60
Based on the findings from the correlation table above, we noted that the correlation
coefficient is 0.201, which indicates a very weak linear relationship. Which means if an
individual would perceive camera functions as an important factor, that individual would have
a low likelihood of recommending. However, the p-value of 0.123 is more than the alpha
value of 0.05. Therefore, we fail to reject the null hypothesis the perception of importance of
camera functions does not influence the likelihood of recommendation.
With reference to our research findings, consumers tend to go for smartphones with at least
5 megapixels in their camera (Crothers, 2011) and this shows that camera functions do fall
under one of the important factors of a smartphone. However, he or she may not necessarily
recommend that smartphone despite having superior camera functions.
6. Strategic Recommendations
 Samsung can concentrate more on the local economy and concentrate more on vendor
specification.
 A major step that can be taken by Samsung is that it eliminates Apple as its biggest
competitor and come to more economic models just as Xiaomi has done. If it starts redirect
all its resources in creating mass/popular smartphones then it is going to penetrate more in
the market and have more people buying it (Teimouri et al 2016).

 What could come as a problem in concentrating on the average models is that they will have
to include most of the features yet keep the price low. This could be an issue and the
company will have to resolve to cost cutting. However, a good way out is making use of the
domination they have in the supply chain and price themselves somewhere which is neither
as high as Apple and neither as low as Xiaomi (Moorkens et al 2017).
 Samsung have established their name as the one of the super-fast followers who can catch
up with their competitors quite fast. Samsung must make the best use of this and create
best of products through effective cost cutting strategy.
 Research and development team can follow more of the market trends in the under-
developed economy and this is also going add a philanthropic side to it which adds to the
selling point (Jamali & Khan 2018).
 Samsung has always been bringing changes in the products and now it should also bring in
some changes the way it is marketing itself on different online platforms with offers (Yun et
al 2018).
7. Conclusion
Survey helps in coming to a conclusion through dependable and authentic primary resources.
Through this research it is proven that technological advancements, design and price are the
important factors that play an important role in prompting the customers to recommend the phone.
Customers play an important agent of ad. It is wise to make them the source goodwill building.
8. References
Alsaleh, M., Alomar, N., & Alarifi, A. (2017). Smartphone users: Understanding how security
mechanisms are perceived and new persuasive methods. PloS One, 12(3),
e0173284-e0173284. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173284
Berger, J., & Schwartz, E. (2011). What Do People Talk About? Drivers of Immediate and
Ongoing Word-Of-Mouth. Journal of Marketing Research. doi: 10.1509/jmkr.48.5.869
Crothers, B. (2011). Apple, Samsung top J.D. Power satisfaction survey. Retrieved from
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-20103501-64/apple-samsung-top-j.d-power-
satisfaction-survey/?tag=mncol;txt
Das, A., & Khan, H. U. (2018). Security Behaviours of Smartphone Users. Information &
Computer Security, 24, 116-134. doi: 10.1108/ICS-04-2015-0018.

Filieri, R., & Lin, Z. (2017). The Role of Aesthetic, Cultural, Utilitarian and Branding Factors
in Young Chinese Consumers' Repurchase Intention of Smartphone Brands.
Computers in Human Behavior, 67, 139-150. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2016.09.057
Jamali, M., & Khan, R. (2018). The impact of consumer interaction on social media on brand
awareness and purchase intention! Case study of Samsung. Journal of Marketing,
114.
Li, I., Simonson, R., Babajanova, G., & Tuomala, M. (2016). Smartphone Diffusion and
Consumer Price Comparison Shopping Behavior: Implications for the Marketplace
Fairness Act. Economics Bulletin, 36(3), 1337-1353.
Moorkens, E., Meuwissen, N., Huys, I., Declerck, P., Vulto, A. G., & Simoens, S. (2017).
The market of biopharmaceutical medicines: a snapshot of a diverse industrial
landscape. Frontiers in pharmacology, 8, 314.
Rigopoulou, I. D., Chaniotakis, I. E., & Kehagias, J. D. (2017). An Extended Technology
Acceptance Model for Predicting Smartphone Adoption Among Young Consumers in
Greece. International Journal of Mobile Communications, 15(4), 372-387.
Teimouri, H., Fanae, N., Jenab, K., Khoury, S., & Moslehpour, S. (2016). Studying the
relationship between brand personality and customer loyalty: A case study of
Samsung mobile phone. International Journal of Business and Management, 11(2), 1-
10.
Torous, J., & Roberts, L. W. (2017). Needed Innovation in Digital Health and Smartphone
Applications for Mental Health: Transparency and trust. JAMA Psychiatry, 74(5), 437-
438. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0262
Toufani, S., Stanton, J. P., & Chikweche, T. (2017). The Importance of Aesthetics on
Customers’ Intentions to Purchase Smartphones. Marketing Intelligence & Planning,
35(3), 316-338. doi: 10.1108/MIP-12-2015-0230
Yun, J., Jeon, J., Park, K., & Zhao, X. (2018). Benefits and costs of closed innovation
strategy: analysis of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 Explosion and withdrawal scandal.
Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 4(3), 20.
9. Appendices
Questionnaire
1
. Gender?
Male
Female
2. Age Group?

< 20 years old
21 - 30 years
old
31 - 40 years
old
> 40 years old
3. Highest level of education?
High School
Diploma
Bachelor's
Degree
Masters/ P.H.D
4. How much are you willing to spend on a smartphone?
< $200
$201 - $500
$501 - $999
$1000 and above
5. Which of the following smartphone brands are you currently using?
Samsung
Apple
Other (Please specify)
______________

6. You were influenced to buy this phone by:
Friends/Family
Internet
Reputation
Other
From a scale of 1-5, 1 being very irrelevant and 5 very relevant, rate the following
questions in terms of their importance when purchasing a smartphone:
7. How relevant is price when purchasing a smartphone? (Select one option)
1 2 3 4 5
Very Irrelevant Irrelevan
t
Neutra
l
Relevant Very Relevant
8. How relevant is battery life when purchasing a smartphone? (Select one option)
1 2 3 4 5
Very Irrelevant Irrelevan
t
Neutra
l
Relevant Very Relevant
9
. How relevant is camera function when purchasing a smartphone? (Select one
option)
1 2 3 4 5
Very Irrelevant Irrelevan
t
Neutra
l
Relevant Very Relevant
10
. How relevant is screen size when purchasing a smartphone? (Select one option)

1 2 3 4 5
Very Irrelevant Irrelevan
t
Neutra
l
Relevant Very Relevant
11. How relevant is security feature when purchasing a smartphone? (Select one
option)
1 2 3 4 5
Very Irrelevant Irrelevan
t
Neutra
l
Relevant Very Relevant
12
. How relevant is brand image when purchasing a smartphone? (Select one option)
1 2 3 4 5
Very Irrelevant Irrelevan
t
Neutra
l
Relevant Very Relevant
13. How relevant is appearance when purchasing a smartphone? (Select one option)
1 2 3 4 5
Very Irrelevant Irrelevan
t
Neutra
l
Relevant Very Relevant
14
. How relevant is quality when purchasing a smartphone? (Select one option)
1 2 3 4 5
Very Irrelevant Irrelevan
t
Neutra
l
Relevant Very Relevant
From a scale of 1-5, 1 being strongly disagree and 5 strongly agree, rate the

following questions:
15. High prices should be justified for high-end smartphones (Select one option)
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Neutra
l
Agree Strongly Agree
16
. Price of the smartphone should be based on its quality (Select one option)
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Neutra
l
Agree Strongly Agree
17
. You are able to update your current smartphone software often (Select one option)
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Neutra
l
Agree Strongly Agree
18
. You like to have advanced smartphone features (Select one option)
1 2 3 3 5
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Neutra
l
Agree Strongly Agree
19. Your smartphone is linked with high technology software (Select one
option)
1 2 3 4 5

Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Neutra
l
Agree Strongly Agree
20. Smartphones should have unique and innovative software (Select one
option)
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Neutra
l
Agree Strongly Agree
From a scale of 1-5, 1 being will highly not recommend and 5 being will highly
recommend, rate the following questions:
21. Will you recommend a smartphone which selling point is it's appearance to a
friend? (Select one option)
1 2 3 4 5
Will highly not
recommend
Will not recommend Neutral Will recommend Will highly recommend
22. Will you recommend a smartphone which selling point is it's pricing to a friend?
(Select one option)
1 2 3 4 5
Will highly not
recommend
Will not recommend Neutral Will recommend Will highly recommend
23. Will you recommend a smartphone which selling point is it's security feature to a
friend? (Select one option)
1 2 3 4 5
Will highly not
recommend
Will not recommend Neutral Will recommend Will highly recommend

24. Will you recommend a smartphone which selling point is it's camera function to
a friend? (Select one option)
1 2 3 4 5
Will highly not
recommend
Will not recommend Neutral Will recommend Will highly recommend
From a scale of 1-5, 1 being strongly disagree and 5 strongly agree, rate the
following questions:
Impact of appearance, price and advanced technologies on consumer attitude
towards buying smartphones
25. Appearance, price, and advanced technology have a direct impact on the
consumers’ attitude to buy smartphones (Select one option)
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Neutra
l
Agree Strongly Agree