Evolving expectations of smartphone users in Saudi Arabia

When it comes to satisfaction of mobile broadband users on 4G networks, the study shows that user expectations from the service increase over time According to the latest Ericsson ConsumerLab report “Evolving Expectations”, mobile broadband usage behavior in Saudi Arabia stands out compared to the global markets, driven by high smartphone ownership, access to 4G networks and strong interest in new services. The study presents insights from research involving more than 2000 smartphone users, who use mobile broadband, and sheds light on the changing mobile broadband usage and behavior in KSA.

The study reveals that the share of time spent watching video on mobile devices is 62 percent, which is significantly high in KSA when compared with countries like the United Arab Emirates, the USA, the UK and Germany.

In fact, consumers in KSA are almost on par with their western counterparts in terms of internet usage throughout the day with 66 percent saying they use the internet constantly throughout the day. Another 54 percent claim that the internet is their main source of news and entertainment surpassing both the UK and the USA.

On the other hand, user expectations are constantly evolving over time. The report finds that as users become more experienced with mobile broadband services, their expectations rise. This is translated in lower satisfaction of experienced 4G users than that of the new users.

Ali Eid, Head of Ericsson, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said: “The fact is that consumers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are increasingly mobile, video driven, to the extent that their connectivity and mobility is surpassing many other countries, which is truly exciting. One of the key points highlighted by this report is that consumer expectations from mobile services are increasingly evolving over time. In order to meet the expectations, there is a challenge for operators to improve service quality with reliable and faster mobile broadband and better customer support.”

Other highlights from the report include:

Faster connectivity, latest devices: Amongst smartphone users, there is a 10 percent growth in tablet ownership and a 17 percent growth in the usage of 4G connections in the last 2 years.

High video consumption on mobile devices: 43 percent of smartphone users in the 16–29 age group watch on-demand video weekly. Also, in Saudi Arabia 62 percent of the time spent watching videos is on smartphones and tablets, compared to 40 percent in the US.

Strong interest in new services: 54 percent of smartphone users aged 16–24 are interested in social discovery services and 64 percent aged 25–29 are interested in connected home services. 49 percent of 30–39 year olds are interested in streaming music services, like Spotify.

Video leads the way: Across locations, 66 percent feel Wi-Fi offers a desirable performance for watching videos, compared to 23 percent, who feel the same about mobile networks. Connection preferences vary depending on which connection they think is going to meet their expectations in different locations.

Expectations impact satisfaction: In spite of having a high-quality video streaming experience, only 57 percent of consumers are satisfied with online video streaming, compared to the 88 percent who are satisfied with instant messaging and chat services.

satisfied line video streaming, compared to 88 percent for instant messaging/chat services

Data issues and poor customer service could result in switching operators:

For 79 percent of smartphone users, the reasons for switching operators are all related to mobile data such as unstable data connectivity, slow connections and poor customer support for data services.

Simplicity is key: Consumers are increasingly looking for simplified services, and they consider simplicity to be a crucial factor. Trust and credibility, followed by bundled offers are some of the most important simplicity-related factors for choosing an operator.