Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

Think you know what people look for in a new smartphone? Think again

Published Apr 15th, 2016 9:30PM EDT
iPhone Android Smartphone Features
Image: Zach Epstein, BGR

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

What’s the most important thing to consider when buying a smartphone? Is it the size? The hardware? The camera? A new survey revealed what smartphone buyers look at when purchasing a new iPhone or Android handset and the results are definitely interesting.

DON’T MISS: HTC 10 vs. Galaxy S7: How their 5 most important features compare

British startup OnePulse surveyed 1,100 men and women aged 16-65 from the U.K. and found out the most important factors smartphone buyers consider. The top three include price, brand and battery life. The phone’s design is ranked fourth, followed by things like storage space, camera, reviews and accessory availability.

We’ve seen other surveys that place battery life and camera quality squarely at the top of the list, so this is an interesting development.

OnePulse also asked respondents whether they understand certain features that might be advertised when buying a phone. The majority of them know what storage (87%), screen size (81%) and camera (80%) characteristics mean. But only 60% of people understand display pixels, while 53% understand RAM. The processor scores lowest, with 39% of people saying they understand it.

Finally, when asked what company is coming up with the best phones right now, 32% said it’s Apple and of those, 60% are Apple users, while 7% are on Android. But guess which company scored higher: Samsung won the battle with 39% of the votes. Interestingly, 15% of people who said Samsung makes the best phone right now are currently iPhone owners, while 61% are Android users.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.