This report looks at the following areas:
- The impact of the cost of living crisis on mobile phone usage for Irish consumers.
- Which handset brands are the most prevalent among Irish smartphone users.
- Which phone networks are the most used among consumers and if consumers prefer prepaid or postpaid subscriptions.
- How the rollout of 5G has progressed in Ireland, and to what degree NI consumers have adopted the new service.
Financial strain is putting emphasis on value for money and seeing consumers scrutinizing spending on data, and making handsets last longer.
Brian O’Connor, Category Director – Irish Reports
Market Definitions
This Report covers the Irish consumer market for mobile phones and mobile network providers. Mobile phones are defined as any device being used to place or receive calls by connecting to a mobile network. ‘Basic mobile phones’ and ‘Feature phones’ are terms used to describe non-smartphones.
Mobile networks are defined as networks providing either data, voice or SMS (Short Message Service) facilities to a mobile device. Data delivered over Wi-Fi is not included under the ‘data’ category. Primarily, this Report refers to the use of mobile networks through traditional mobile phones or smartphones. However, reference is also made to tablet devices as these can connect to mobile networks for data.
Network connections can come in two forms – prepaid and postpaid. The former involves buying credit for a phone, which is then worked through, while the latter refers to the use of a handset with a monthly contract charge covering the previous month’s usage.
Prepaid is better known to consumers as ‘pay-as-you-go’ (PAYG) and is referred to as such throughout this Report. Similarly, ‘postpaid’ is better known to consumers as ‘contract’ and is referred to as such throughout this Report. SIM-only refers to a contract with a phone that has been paid off.
Collapse All
-
Executive Summary
- Opportunities for the mobile phone market
- Offering value for money
- Expectation for handsets to last longer
- Network switching could become more common
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Continued growth in mobile subscriptions
- Postpaid continues to expand market share
- Graph 1: mobile subscriptions, by prepay and post-pay, Q1 2019- Q1 2024
- Growth in subscriber numbers to continue till 2029
- Graph 2: estimated total number of mobile phone subscribers, NI and RoI, 2019-29
- Market predictions
- Financial strain remains an issue
- Upgrade cycle expanding
- Monthly data usage continues to increase
- Graph 3: average monthly data usage per smartphone (GB), 2019-24
- What consumers want and why
- Apple and Samsung are clear market leaders
- Graph 4: type of smartphone brand that consumers currently personally own, 2024
- Consumers prefer familiar brands
- Graph 5: if a consumers’ current smartphone is the same brand as their previous one, 2024
- O2 and Vodafone see strong usage
- Graph 6: mobile network providers used by consumers for their main mobile phone, 2024
- Graph 7: mobile network providers used by consumers for their main mobile phone, 2024
- Strong preference for postpaid contracts
- Cost increase help drive postpaid usage
- £250/€250 average new phone budget (if paid upfront)
- Graph 8: How much consumers are willing to spend upfront on their next smartphone, 2024
- Irish phone users pleased with coverage
- Happy with network strength; worried about mental health
-
Market Dynamics
- Market size
- Continued growth in mobile subscriptions
- Graph 9: Total number of mobile phone subscribers, 2019-24
- Postpaid continues to surge in popularity
- Graph 10: mobile subscriptions, by prepay and postpay, Q1 2019-Q1 2024
- Voice revenue accounts for majority of sector
- Graph 11: mobile revenue, by data and voice & other revenues, RoI, Q1 2019-Q1 2024
- 16.5% drop 2019-23 in mobile spending in UK
- Graph 12: mobile revenue, by service type, 2019-24
- Little change in RoI revenue share
- Market forecast
- Subscriber numbers expected to see marginal improvement 2024-29
- Graph 13: estimated total number of mobile phone subscribers, 2019-29
- Slow growth expected
- Market drivers
- Consumer prices continue to increase
- Graph 14: consumer price indices for all items, 2021-24
- Little change in financial situation among Irish consumers
- Graph 15: how consumers rate their financial situation, 2022-24
- Inflation and the cost of living are slowing, but Irish consumers feel worse-off compared to last year
- Graph 16: how consumers rate their current financial situation compared to 12 months previously, 2024
- Consumers still feeling under pressure
- New tech equipment not a high spending priority
- Graph 17: spending priorities if consumers financial situation improved significantly, 2024
- Handset costs already pushing limits of affordability for many
- Offering hardier handsets
- Sustainability growing in importance
- Networks increased prices in 2024
- Messaging and minute usage still low in 2024
- Graph 18: total SMS & MMS traffic, 2019-23
- Graph 19: total mobile voice minutes, 2019-23
- Strong UK drop off in messaging
- Graph 20: total messaging (SMS & MMS) traffic, 2019-23
- Graph 21: total mobile voice minutes (billion), 2019-23
- Monthly data usage continues to increase
- Graph 22: average monthly data usage per smartphone, 2019-24
- 5G uptake slowed by infrequent upgrading
- Graph 23: technology split of phone usage, 2021-23
- 2G and 3G’s days are numbered
-
What Consumers Want and Why
- Smartphone brand usage
- NI consumers prefer Apple, RoI Samsung
- Graph 24: type of smartphone brand that consumers currently personally own, 2024
- Little change in preference 2022-24
- Strong loyalty to handset brands
- Graph 25: if a consumer’s current smartphone is the same brand as their previous one, 2024
- Gen Z key Apple users
- Graph 26: ownership of an Apple device, by generational group, 2024
- Samsung users skew to older generations
- Graph 27: ownership of a Samsung device, by generational group, 2024
- Upgrade cycle expanding
- Women more likely to wait longer to upgrade
- Mobile network provider used
- O2 continues NI market dominance
- Graph 28: mobile network providers used by consumers for their main mobile phone, 2024
- Little change in NI brand choices
- Graph 29: mobile network providers used by consumers for their main mobile phone, 2021-24
- Vodafone & Three most popular RoI providers
- Graph 30: mobile network providers used by consumers for their main mobile phone, 2024
- Growth of postpaid helping to keep RoI network stable
- Graph 31: mobile network providers used by consumers for their main mobile phone, 2021-24
- Type of mobile network connection
- Steady growth in monthly contract usage
- Graph 32: type of mobile network connection, 2020-24
- Graph 33: type of mobile network connection, 2020-24
- Postpaid subscriptions’ prevalance increases with age
- Graph 34: consumers who have a monthly contract (ie postpaid), by age group, 2024
- Most plan to spend less that £250/ €250 on a phone
- Graph 35: how much consumers are willing to spend upfront on their next smartphone, 2024
- BNPL could be marketed effectively to those wanting a new phone, but without the long term payments
- Attitudes towards mobile phones
- Strong satisfaction with network coverage
- Graph 36: agreement with statements related to mobile phones, 2024
- Satisfaction with coverage remains broadly consistent 2021-24
- Graph 37: agreement with the statement ‘I find the coverage of my phone network to be good’, 2021-24
- Deeper concerns with wellbeing impact among RoI consumers
- Graph 38: agreement with statements relating to phones and wellbeing, 2024
- Women more inclined to worry about mental impact
- Graph 39: agreement with the statement ‘I am concerned about the mental health implications of using my smartphone too often’, by gender, 2024
- More efforts to limit phone usage expected
- Cost of living seeing consumers eyeing cheaper contracts
-
Competitive landscape
- Innovation and marketing
- Free disposable smartphones for Carnival
- Convenient smartphone repairs
- Apple Intelligence announced
- Apple in IoI
- Galaxy AI in Paris
- Google AI
- Smartphones for kids
- Concerns with children and smartphone safety
- New EE keeps going for gaming
- EE Gaming and NI
- Something and Nothing
- Companies and brands
- Apple – key facts
- Apple – recent developments
- Samsung – key facts
- Samsung – recent developments
- Sony – key facts
- Sony – recent developments
- Google – key facts
- Google – recent developments
- Mobile phone networks
- EE (Everything Everywhere) – key facts
- EE (Everything Everywhere) – recent developments
- Virgin Media (Virgin Media O2) – key facts
- Virgin Media (Virgin Media O2) – recent developments
- Three – key facts
- Three – recent developments
- Tesco Mobile – key facts
- Tesco Mobile – recent developments
- Eir Group – key acts
- Eir Group – recent developments
- An Post Mobile – Key Facts
- An Post Mobile -recent developments
- Sky – key facts
- Sky – recent developments
- Vodafone – key facts
- Vodafone -recent developments
- Carphone Warehouse – key facts
- Carphone Warehouse – recent developments
-
Appendix
- Consumer research methodology
- Supplementary data
- Market size and forecast: underlying data
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
Mintel: Market Intelligence Made Easier
The first Mintel Market Intelligence report was published over 50 years ago. Since then, we have provided our unique insights and understanding of consumers, innovation and global markets to thousands of customers worldwide. Here’s why our customers rely on Mintel:
- Gain a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the market: Mintel reports blend consumer research, market forecasts, product innovation tracking, and competitive analysis, allowing businesses to see every angle of their industry and identify new opportunities quickly.
- Make decisions with confidence, grounded in robust data: Each report draws on up-to-date, reliable information from trusted sources and industry experts, ensuring your strategies are based on solid evidence rather than speculation.
- Benefit from expert analysis and practical recommendations: Mintel’s reports are written by experienced analysts who interpret complex data and provide clear, actionable insights you can trust to guide your next moves.
- Stay ahead with actionable intelligence on market trends and consumer behaviour: By combining fresh research with long-term market monitoring, our reports help businesses anticipate changes and adapt strategically. So you’re prepared to make informed decisions and drive growth.
What goes into a Mintel Market Intelligence Report?
Curious about how a Market Intelligence report comes together? We like to think of it as building a detailed puzzle. We start with individual pieces: data from consumers, market statistics, industry trends, and online conversations. Then our expert analysts add world-class human insight and industry knowledge. The pieces are assembled to reveal a clear, comprehensive picture of a market.
The Four Pillars of Our Research
We use a combination of four main research methods when creating our reports, each adding a valuable perspective:
- Consumer Research: Direct surveys with real people, giving us clear, current insights into what people think and do.
- Desk Research: In-depth review of trusted data sources. We use this rich database, plus powerful internal tools that track new products and market sizes, to detect trends and guide forecasts.
- Trade Research: Insights from conversations with industry experts. Their real-world experience helps us understand what’s happening behind the scenes.
- Brand and Social Media Research: Analysis of online opinions and trends. This lets us spot trends, measure brand sentiment, and capture feedback in real time, adding further depth to our research.
For further information about our research and analysis methods, visit our helpdesk.
Bringing It All Together
Each of these four pillars provides a different piece of the puzzle. Consumer research tells us what customers think, desk research provides the factual framework, trade research offers an insider’s view, and social media analysis reveals public sentiment.
Our expert analysts are skilled in weaving these diverse data streams together. They apply a range of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to uncover the deeper story, connecting the dots to deliver clear, actionable insights. This comprehensive, multi-layered process is how we transform raw data into a market intelligence report you can trust to inform your most important business decisions.
For a closer look at a Mintel Market Intelligence Report, browse trhough the sample PDF report below:
Please Note: All of the figures, graphs, and tables in this sample report have been redacted.
Original price was: $ 1,995.$ 1,250Current price is: $ 1,250. (Excl.Tax)
-
Download today with instant access
Pay via credit card or purchase order
-
Multiple formats provided
We send a PDF, Powerpoint and Excel Databook straight to your inbox. An interactive version of the report is also available on our online platform
-
Interactive databook included
Focus on the data that matters most to you with a customisable databook avaliable on our platform
-
Save up to 20% when you purchase multiple reports
Discount is applied directly at checkout
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn moreTrusted by global industry leaders
At Jackman, we believe that powerful strategies are based on human insight. Mintel’s leading-edge reports and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors are an important input as we develop and execute strategy.
Alana Gavin, VP Research and Insights, Jackman
Mintel is really good for getting a handle on a particular category quickly. If we are working on a new business pitch in an area we don’t have much experience in, it’s a brilliant way to get up to speed with what’s going on, what’s changing and what the key trends are in any category.
It’s very rare now that anyone will plough through a 200-page report – that’s why the summaries are really useful. We know they are backed up by a lot of detail, so if you need to go into something in more depth you know the information will be all there for you.
Pauline Robson, Managing Partner, Mediacom
One of the biggest challenges we face is the need to get smart on a business or category real quick.
We are talking to clients who live and breathe their category every day and the expectation is that we will be able to get caught up very quickly, and bring the thinking that can help them.
We need to do that often in a matter of days, so it’s not a small ask. Mintel gives us a very articulate view of category conditions and does so at the speed we need it.
Jeff White, Business Development Director, Deutsch
There is no question that Mintel is the go-to resource for the best quality market research, but I did not think it was an affordable option for Abacus Marketing to consider. As a small marketing agency, we only work with a few new clients each year.
However, we have a very high-end consultative approach to our work, so we really do need a partner like Mintel to provide the big agency experience we are always aiming to deliver. Our clients come from an incredibly diverse range of industry sectors, so we obviously need access to market research reports from a very wide spectrum of marketplaces – and that is precisely what we got.
Stephen Taylor-Brown, Managing Director, Abacus
Working in a customer-obsessed organization means that data and insights have to be at our fingertips. Mintel’s reports help us support anecdotes with real quantifiable insights. The summary sections (which I really like) helps save time by giving a birds eye view of the content before spending time combing through the pages.
Our business review discussions are strengthened by the relevancy of the reports to help us better understand our customers. In addition, the customer service received from the team (especially in crunch periods) makes the process of understanding customer behavior even better.
Ngozi Ngonadi-Nkwoji, Senior Marketing Manager, Amazon
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn more
