THE IMPACT FACTORS ON MOBILE PHONE CHOICE- A STUDY ON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN KYRGYZSTAN

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In spite of having a rapid growth during the last three decades, the mobile phone handset market faces severe competition. Mobile phones, which have been complex technological products, meet more than one need and exceed the line of being only a communication tool. Especially young consumers’ needs, wants, and desires play major role in the existing severe competition among the brands and the formation of mobile phone market itself. In this regard how young consumers make their mobile phone handset decisions is concerned both from academic and industrial points of view. The purpose of this study is to determine the factors that influence the mobile phone handset choices of university students. It presents the findings from a survey carried out to the students in Kyrgyzstan-Turkey Manas University, Bishkek. The study reveals that young consumers primarily use cellular phones for internet, talk, listening to mp3 and radio, taking pictures, and wireless inter-device connections (bluetooth) and accordingly give more importance to the factors that make their phones more usable in their choices. For university students product quality, brand, price, warranty, and model as non-physical features and battery life, color screen, esthetic and appearance, screen resolution, and screen size are important factors as physical features in choosing their mobile phone handsets.

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Mobile phones , cell phones , consumer preferences , consumer choice , consumer behavior , university students , technological products , marketing

Celal Bayar University Journal Of Social Sciences

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Celal Bayar University Journal Of Social Sciences