Growth in the number of smartphone users in Vietnam continues, with rural smartphone users reaching up to 68 per cent of mobile phone users, according to the latest Nielsen report released on November 24.

According to the Nielsen Vietnam Smartphone Insights Report 2017, the number of people using smartphones among mobile phone users enjoyed growth of 84 per cent in 2017, compared to 78 per cent in 2016.

In secondary cities, 71 per cent of local people use a smartphone among 93 per cent of people using mobile phones. More notably, in rural areas, while 89 per cent of the population owns a mobile phone, 68 per cent possess a smartphone.

“The rapid up-take of connected devices, especially smartphones and tablets, is inevitable in Vietnam,” said Mr. Doan Duy Khoa, Director of Consumer Insights at Nielsen Vietnam. “This could correspond with the fact that smartphone brands are offering consumers abundant choice at an affordable and reasonable price. Another reason is that consumers are enjoying increasing standards of living and expressing their desire for connectivity anywhere, anytime.”

Nielsen conducted another study earlier this year in cooperation with Younet Media to shed light on evolving trends in rural consumption. The study revealed that social media has emerged as one of the key platforms for obtaining information, being entertained, and keeping in touch with family and friends, with 22.5 million Facebook users compared to 23.5 million Facebook users in urban areas.

“This plays an instrumental role in media consumption shifting beyond traditional media formats such as broadcast and cable TV, and also beyond traditional time parts,” said Mr. Khoa. “For media owners and advertisers, it is becoming increasingly important to understand both urban and rural consumers’ viewing habits in order to deliver the right content at the right time.”

The Nielsen Vietnam Smartphone Insight Report, which looks at the market landscape, smartphone brand performance, and smartphone use and attitudes, reveals major trends on smartphone penetration, segment movement, product life cycle, purchasing factors, brand satisfaction, and expectations from consumers towards a brand.

A sample of 1,882 frequent online users in key cities, 1,930 users in secondary cities, and 2,027 users in rural areas aged 16 years or older and who used the internet in the last month were captured using online survey methodology. 

VN Economic Times