Gulf consumers prefer Apple above all other brands when buying a smartphone, ITP.net’s Brand Preference Survey, conducted in conjunction with Channel Middle East magazine, has revealed.
The survey, which closed on Thursday, was run to determine the preference patterns among Gulf residents for consumer electronics brands. With over 1,700 participants, ITP.net is able to report results with a margin of error of just 3 percent. Respondents were mostly male (79 percent) and 78 percent were based in the UAE.
Some 84 percent were aged between 21 and 50, and 68 percent earned a monthly salary of between $1,000 and $5,000.
When asked what their favourite premium smartphone brand was, respondents voted Apple the clear leader, with 42.33 percent. Samsung was a strong second with 34.33 percent and BlackBerry and HTC took joint-third place with 4.96 percent each.
The large representation of UAE residents among respondents may explain Apple’s success. The relatively high disposable incomes prevalent in the Emirates have led to consistent wins for the Cupertino-based iPhone maker. The nation’s ICT watchdog, the Telecommunications Regulatory authority repeatedly reports iPhone handsets to be the units of choice for mobile subscribers.
Keep checking ITP.net for further brand success stories as we continue to report on the survey’s findings. A full report on the results will be published in the June edition of Channel Middle East.
The ITP.net Brand Preference Survey opened on 4 March and closed on 16 April. Responses numbered 1,757. Based on a confidence level of 99 percent and a Gulf population of approximately 50m, this yielded a margin of error of 3.08 percent, according to standard sampling calculations.
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