Smartphone customers apparently aren't very knowledgeable when it comes to mobile network technologies.
Analysys Mason found in a survey that 46 percent of iPhone 4 users believe they are using a 4G-capable handset. In reality, Apple's device doesn't yet support LTE, the 4G technology that is being embraced by operators around the world.
"Consumers are, for the most part, ill-informed about what 4G is and what it enables," said Martin Scott, principal analyst with Analysys Mason and author of a report, The Connected Consumer Survey 2012. "Mobile network operators' ability to articulate the benefits of Long Term Evolution (LTE) and 4G to the average consumer will have a significant impact on take-up of these technologies."
Analysys Mason also discovered anecdotal evidence indicating smartphones aren't for everyone. Forty six percent of mobile-phone users that have not yet purchased a smartphone do not believe they have motivation to upgrade. What is contributing to consumers' apparent indifference? The high price of the devices and a perceived lack of need for the smartphones' functionality are some factors, Analysys Mason said.
Analysys Mason's findings were based on a survey of 7,485 consumers in six European countries and the United States.
Other findings in the survey cover such varied areas as laptop penetration, the saturation of the pay TV market and consumers' usage of streaming video services on tablets.
