Despite the dominance of the US tech giant Apple in the west because of its premium brand status, its rival Samsung and Nokia continue to lure the mobile buyers in the emerging markets like India, Brazil, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

According to a study by marketing technology company Upstream, Samsung and Nokia with 32% and 22% market shares respectively are the top mobile brands in the emerging markets. Apple remains on third position. The report hints at the new Samsung smartphone GalaxyS4 and new Nokia handsets could challenge Apple in the west in the backdrop of their success in these emerging markets.

The 2013 Emerging Markets Mobile Attitudes Report from surveyed 3,670 adults in Brazil, India, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia,

Nokia which is losing ground to its rival in the west continues to be a favorite brand in Nigerians (37 per cent), and second favorite in Brazil after Samsung.  The report said that the price point pays an important role in choosing a mobile handset. For most of the users this factor takes precedence over the brand value.
 
“Almost a third of consumers (27 per cent) with less purchasing power will ultimately bypass their favorite brands and buy devices with similar functionality, but at a cheaper price” the report says.
 
There is however a strong craving for high end smartphones but only 16 per cent are willing to spend more than $450 on a device.  The report finds that brand desirability cannot guarantee success in these new markets.
 
According to the report, mobile is the most used device in these markets. It holds more significance than laptops, tablets or desktop PCs. The report shows that 60 per cent of consumers are prepared to spend up to $5 every month on mobile applications, and in Brazil, one of the fastest growing mobile markets, 14 per cent of consumers would pay $10 or above every month.
 
The report reveals that health and educational contents are accessed most in these countries. “Over half of all Nigerians (56 per cent), 40 per cent of Indians and over a third of Brazilians (37 per cent) would like to access content or applications relating to health services”, it says
 
Similarly educations content is also on high priority in Nigeria (74 per cent), India (50 per cent) and Saudi Arabia (40 per cent).

But when it comes to social media these markets are no different from the west. 70 per cent of Indians, 69 per cent of Brazilians, 61 per cent of Saudi Arabians and 78 per cent of Nigerians keen to access to social networks such as Facebook or Twitter from their mobile phone.

It further says that the lack of access to credit cards and banking facilities in these regions has meant that the majority of consumers polled (42 per cent) expressed an interest in being billed for content and apps by their MNO.

Marco Veremis, CEO, Upstream comments: “The current App store model present in the West, which requires consumer credit or debit card details, is not one that can be easily transferred across into emerging markets. Thanks to the established billing relationship in place with consumers, the report identifies the huge opportunity for MNOs to build a more appropriate and effective model and deliver the data content and applications that consumer’s desire. In addition MNOs actually own the most pervasive marketing channel in those markets to drive adoption for apps, the mobile phone itself. In many of those markets people do not have access to other channels available in the west.”
 
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