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It’s longer battery life we want most from our smartphones, not 5G or gimmicks – survey finds

Samsung’s new Galaxy S10 smartphones, including the S10 Plus (above), were unveiled at an ‘Unpacked event’ in San Francisco on Wednesday. Photo: Bloomberg
Samsung’s new Galaxy S10 smartphones, including the S10 Plus (above), were unveiled at an ‘Unpacked event’ in San Francisco on Wednesday. Photo: Bloomberg
Smartphones

  • A new survey shows most of us have heard of 5G and foldable devices, but they are not going to make us buy a new model

Foldable phones, 5G and other hyped features are not going to motivate most of you to buy a new smartphone.

You’re driven by something more basic – such as a phone battery that will last a full day and beyond.

These are key takeaways from a survey of 1,303 smartphone buyers in the United States, conducted in February by market research company SurveyMonkey Audience.

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Consider that two out of three smartphone owners have heard of the blazing fast 5G, or fifth-generation, wireless networks that are only now starting to emerge.

Nearly half have at least a passing familiarity with “foldable” or flexible-screen devices that are supposed to herald the next wave of smartphone innovation, including a model that Samsung flaunted (just a little) at an “Unpacked event” on Wednesday in San Francisco, which marked the 10th anniversary of the company’s flagship Galaxy S phone line.

Samsung gave people a peek of its new line-up of Galaxy S smartphones, including the Galaxy S10 Plus (above), at Wednesday’s ‘Unpacked event’ in San Francisco. Photo: Bloomberg
Samsung gave people a peek of its new line-up of Galaxy S smartphones, including the Galaxy S10 Plus (above), at Wednesday’s ‘Unpacked event’ in San Francisco. Photo: Bloomberg

And yet for Samsung and other phone makers all gung-ho about exploiting 5G and flexible design hardware in 2019, familiarity doesn’t mean such features rank high on consumer wish lists – at least if those would-be mobile buyers have to spend a small fortune to get them.

Instead, people want what they have always wanted, notably that extra power and a handset that takes good pictures. Even at that, consumers can live without multiple camera lenses or fancy augmented reality stunts.