The use of smartphones and tablets for personal and professional purposes is intensifying. However, operators are finding it increasingly difficult to find new levers of growth! This paradox on the telecommunications market can be explained in part by the deep transformation of consumption and the fact that consumer expectations have evolved drastically since the early 2000’s.

The following are four of the most important changes and their repercussions on the telecommunications and new technologies industry:

Intensification of the focus on price

• A market undergoing incessant evolution, and development of low-cost digital offers, even in companies,
• Growing use by the general public of free means of communication (Whatsapp, Snapchat, Skype),
• Individuals often dissociate purchases of technological goods (smartphone and communication plan purchased separately, purchase of computer and sound system components),
• Constant reinforcement of the “household” rationale when it comes to investment decisions by the general public.

The quest for convenience

• The smartphone is asserting its supremacy as central channel for purchases and consumption of content (media, purchases, communication, entertainment),
• A focus on facilitation of interface usage: voice control, fingerprint recognition, predictive text, automatic translation,
• Standardisation of applications with simplified ergonomics and personalised, fluid, smart processes (Voyages SNCF, Ventes Privées, RATP, Le BonCoin),
• Communication via instant images is developing exponentially (Instagram, Selfies, etc.).

Defiance regarding experts, trust in one’s peers

• Wariness with regard to operators still prevails, together with a loss of aura of the founding companies of the industry and a growth in the number of consumer complaints and claims.
• Ever-increasing popularity of discussion forums bringing together customers of a same brand, peer-to-peer recommendation of good buys, selling of second-hand devices, sharing of content, searches for interesting bargains (Le BonCoin, VentePrivée …).

Usage is supplanting ownership

• Development of smartphone rental,
• Growing popularity of subscriptions to musical, media, video and streaming content,
• Emergence of subscriptions to stop and go services (Netflix, BeinSport, operator options).