Hungarians Don’t Rush to Buy New Phones

Mobile phone manufacturers come out with new handsets every year, but it's as if the developer momentum ran out with no major new features coming with these updates. Older handsets serve the needs of the majority of people so well that even the two-year replacement cycle favored by operators is not widely adhered to. Hungarians are not following the pace dictated by the industry either, at least according to a survey conducted by Pulzus Research.

According to the representative survey, only 1% of Hungarians surveyed replace their phones every year, 12% between 13 and 24 months, 35% between 25 and 36 months, i.e. within three years, and the largest number, 52%, use their phones beyond 36 months, i.e. presumably until they are no longer usable or the lack of software support is a nuisance, the business news site napi.hu reports.

Unsurprisingly, older people, those aged 60 and over, are the most likely to keep their phones for longer, but the two-year replacement cycle is most popular among 40-59-year-olds, rather than the youngest, presumably because of higher earnings.

This is contradicted, however, by the fact that the proportion of people who switch every two years is higher among those with primary and secondary education than among those with a degree. It is important to note that the survey did not ask about the price of the phones, so it could well be that those who replace more frequently buy cheaper handsets.

The Pulzus Research survey polled 1,000 people and the responses are representative of the Hungarian adult population. This means that the data reflect the views of the adult population aged 18 plus by gender, age, education and type of municipality, in line with the Hungarian population baseline.