Western Europeans buy cheaper smartphones on average

Western Europeans have started to buy cheaper smartphones on average, according to figures from market research firm GfK. Where a smartphone sold in the spring of 2014 cost an average of 449 dollars, converted to 409 euros, this spring it was 386 dollars, or 350 euros.

The decrease of 14 percent is mainly because Europeans are increasingly buying low-end smartphones, with a purchase price below 200 or 150 euros, says GfK. Meanwhile, half of the smartphones sold in Western Europe, which includes the Benelux, is a low-end device. That was around 37 percent in the same period last year.

GfK does not discuss the reason why Europeans often opt for cheaper devices, but it is probably a combination of factors. For example, providers less and less often offer high discounts on the purchase prices of smartphones when taking out a subscription, while cheaper devices differ less and less from more expensive models in terms of functions.

The number of smartphones sold is still rising, also in Western Europe, a region where the market for smartphones is ‘saturated’ according to GfK. The increase was 9 percent. That is more than the increase worldwide, which was 5 percent according to GfK.

GfK gets its figures because it receives sales figures from many stores and chains. Although it does not have figures for all stores, it nevertheless gives a picture of the developments in sales.