The Zhitong Finance App learned that Counterpoint Research's annual global smartphone consumer survey shows that 63% of consumers who have plans to buy a smartphone within the next six months have already noticed an increase in smartphone prices. Among the various products and services for daily consumption, smartphones are one of the two major categories where consumers have experienced a marked increase in price, along with fuel/gasoline, groceries, and daily necessities. Chinese consumers are most aware of the increase in smartphone prices at 81%, followed by Germany (70%), India (66%), the US and the UK (all 50%).
Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research, said, “Rising storage costs are driving up smartphone prices, and there is limited room for OEMs to absorb the impact of rising costs. As a result, according to our global smartphone price increase report, the global smartphone price is expected to rise by an average of 20% by the end of 2026, and the price of newly released models can increase by as much as 30% year over year. Affected by this, consumers tend to delay switching and choose to buy during large-scale promotions; at the same time, installment payments and trade-ins also support the demand in the high-end market.”
Counterpoint Research's survey was aimed at consumers planning to buy a smartphone within the next six months. The sample covered China, India, the US, the UK and Germany, and collected more than 5,000 valid questionnaires. The research revolves around smartphone purchase intentions, focusing on consumers' purchasing intentions during different holiday or holiday sales seasons, and trade-off strategies in the face of continuously rising smartphone prices.
According to the survey results, 50% of respondents plan to buy during the upcoming holiday sales season or holiday season. Across age groups, younger consumers are more concerned about promotional offers: 56% of Gen Z and 50% of millennials wait to buy a smartphone during the holiday season or holiday season. This trend is particularly evident in India, where around 70% of consumers (69%) choose to buy during the holidays or holidays, followed by Germany (57%) and the US (48%).
Claudia Krehl, Deputy Director of Counterpoint Research, said: “For consumers planning to buy new machines, the upcoming holiday season is a critical opportunity for them to lock in deals before prices rise further. If purchases continue to be postponed, consumers may face higher purchasing costs in the future. 44% of consumers say they are still willing to increase their budget for the model they want if the discount is insufficient; 35% of consumers will look for alternative models within the budget, which provides an opportunity for other brands to gain market share; another 37% of consumers will choose to postpone purchases.”
In China, the 618 Mid-Year Shopping Festival (29%) and “Double 11” (25%) are key points affecting the timing of consumer purchases.
In Germany, both Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday receive consumer attention, and 35% of consumers each plan to buy machines around these two nodes.
In India, as the holiday season approaches, Diwali has become an important smartphone shopping hub. E-commerce promotions, offers and discounts are the main driving factors, accounting for 53%.
Black Friday became the main node for consumers to buy aircraft in the US (54%) and the UK (53%), and more than half of consumers plan to arrange purchases around this node.
Arushi Chawla, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, said, “The holiday promotion season is gradually shifting from simply looking for low prices to pursuing the right value for money. The attractive smartphone offers in the eyes of consumers differ markedly in different markets: in India (37%) and China (20%), price discounts are most popular; German consumers prefer free storage upgrades (22%). American consumers love free phone offers (27%); British consumers value freebies or accessories (22%). This shows that brands need to tailor holiday promotion plans according to the expectations of local consumers.”
As the importance of smartphones in everyday life continues to rise, consumer demand for more advanced technology continues, and rising prices make purchasing decisions more complicated. Therefore, the holiday promotion season is not only related to whether brands can provide attractive offers, but also affects consumers' purchasing choices.