Thanks to reductions in smartphone prices, these devices are now increasingly popular among Vietnamese all over the country.
Market research firm Nielsen recently released their Vietnam Smartphone Insights Report 2017, providing a comprehensive look at how locals use smartphones and their associated services, such as apps and social media, according to Vietnam Economic Times.
The study revealed a considerable increase in smartphone ownership in the country: the population of smartphone owners has grown to 84% in 2017, compared to last year’s 78%.
At this stage residents of major metropolises such as Saigon and Hanoi have mostly switched their older models out for a smartphone, and now their counterparts in less developed provinces are starting to catch up.
In secondary cities such as Vung Tau, Vinh or Buon Ma Thuot, 93% of the population now owns a mobile phone, while 71% of those with a mobile device are currently using a smartphone. In rural regions, these figures are 89% and 68%, respectively.
The robust local mobile device market could account for this impressive increase, according to Nielsen.
“[The data] could correspond with the fact that smartphone brands are offering consumers abundant choice at an affordable and reasonable price,” Director of Consumer Insights at Nielsen Vietnam Doan Duy Khoa told the news source. “Another reason is that consumers are enjoying increasing standards of living and expressing their desire for connectivity anywhere, anytime.”
The market research company also cooperated with Younet Media on another similar study of news consumption through phone usage in rural provinces. Unsurprisingly, social media has replaced other forms of traditional media as a platform for “obtaining information, being entertained, and keeping in touch with family and friends.”
VnExpress cited data from this resource showing that as of 2017, Vietnam has 23.5 million urban Facebook users and 22.5 million rural users.
“This plays an instrumental role in media consumption shifting beyond traditional media formats such as broadcast and cable TV, and also beyond traditional time parts,” Khoa said of Vietnam’s Facebook usage. “For media owners and advertisers, it is becoming increasingly important to understand both urban and rural consumers’ viewing habits in order to deliver the right content at the right time.”
[Photo via Digital Trends]
