Do We Need Brand Loyalty?

An interesting study has come up recently. According to a survey from GfK, many people tend to be loyal to a specific mobile platform or operating system. As for manufacturer however, the choice is not that big a deal.

Of course, the study does get a bit skewed since those loyal to the Apple iOS and the RIM BlackBerry OS would be forced to stick to Apple’s iPhone devices and RIM’s smart phones –the operating systems are proprietary after all. But looking at the Google Android –which is currently the fastest growing OS in terms of the number of users, there are plenty of choices in brands.

Sure, HTC and Samsung are among the top favorites, but Android phones made by Motorola, Asus, Acer, LG, and other phone makers are also selling well. This is due to the fact that people only care about the operating system of the smart phone and not the actual phone itself (with specific devices being chosen for specs and not for their brands). With the Windows Phone 7 OS already out, expect to see a similar situation for Microsoft’s new mobile platform.

So the question now is: does it matter which brand we choose? The only real consideration on the per-brand selection is the fact that each phone maker has their own custom user interface (Samsung TouchWiz, HTC Sense, etc). Aside from that, there is very little to think about.

Another study has announced that the average UK household has been hoarding over 700 Pounds worth of old mobile phones. These can often be resold too –which is a great help for the coming holidays. A quick look at older phones often reveals a vast diversity in the choices of brands.