In an observation that also indicates the changing definition of socialising, a study has found that young smartphone users, in order to continue their services with an operator, take into account the amount of time their favourite social media and video streaming apps take to load rather than the extent and reach of network coverage.
In a report by Ericsson Consumer Lab, it was stated that for users in India and Brazil, mobile broadband experience holds more importance in driving smartphone user-loyalty compared to voice experience.
"As new apps emerge and video usage behaviour evolves, network performance will matter more than ever and will determine how loyal smartphone users will be to their operators," said Jasmeet Singh Sethi, Senior Advisor, Ericsson ConsumerLab, in a statement.
Globally, 26 per cent of smartphone users say they face video streaming issues daily, increasing to over one third in markets like India, Brazil and Indonesia.
While mobile broadband coverage has improved, the ever-evolving nature of apps and new video streaming behaviour is placing different demands on a network's expected performance.
One-third of the South Korean smartphone users say that they watched both live-streamed videos broadcast by others and professional content; in the US, 14 per cent have started to use live-streaming apps.
While only five per cent of smartphone users explicitly state they will switch operators, loyalty profiling reveals 28 per cent are at more risk of switching.
Among those users who are most likely to switch, twice as many face video streaming issues on a daily basis compared to those who are most loyal, the report added.
(With IANS inputs)
