Ireland Mobile Phones Market Report 2023
£ 1,495 (Excl.Tax)
Report Summary
“Cost of living continues to influence the sector, with consumers indicating a greater willingness to compare contract and handset prices in their next renewal cycles. This will see consumers focus more on value for money when buying mobile phones.”
– Brian O’Connor, Senior Consumer Analyst, August 2023
Key issues covered in this Report:
- The impact of the cost of living crisis on mobile phone usage among both NI and RoI 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.
- The activities that consumers mainly use their smartphones for.
Table of Contents
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Issues covered in this Report
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- The five-year outlook for mobile phones
- Figure 1: Category outlook for mobile phones, 2023-28
- The market
- Figure 2: Total number of mobile phone subscribers, IoI, NI and RoI, 2018-23
- Figure 3: Mobile revenues, by data and voice & other revenues, RoI, 2017-23
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- Figure 4: Mobile subscriptions, by prepay and post-pay, RoI, 2017-23
- Market Factors
- More consumers claiming to be struggling financially in 2023
- Figure 5: How consumers describe their current financial situation, IoI, 2022
- Figure 6: Consumer Price Index for all items, RoI and UK (including NI), July 2020- July 23
- Phone contract prices increasing
- Figure 7: Average cost for residential pre-paid vs. postpaid mobile phone subscription, RoI 2023
- Data usage continues to increase in NI and RoI
- Figure 8: Total mobile data usage, RoI, 2017-23
- Figure 9: Average mobile data usage (GB) excluding M2M connections, UK, 2017-22
- RoI 5G users gaining momentum
- Figure 10: 5G vs 4G and 3G subscriptions, RoI, 2021-23
- RoI consumers spending more time per day on devices
- Figure 11: Minute usage of mobile phones per day, RoI, 2021-23
- Companies and innovations
- The consumer
- Apple and Samsung most popular brands
- Figure 12: Type of smartphone brand that consumers currently personally own, NI and RoI, 2023
- Phone brand loyalty high
- Figure 13: If consumers’ current handset is the same brand as their previous brand, NI and RoI, 2023
- Figure 14: How long consumers use their phone before upgrading, NI and RoI, 2023
- Vodafone holds strongest consumer base in RoI and O2 in NI
- Figure 15: Mobile network providers used by consumers for their main mobile phone, RoI, 2023
- Figure 16: Mobile network providers used by consumers for their main mobile phone, NI, 2023
- Monthly contract usage increases
- Figure 17: Type of mobile network connection, NI and RoI, 2020-23
- Long lasting battery most sought feature
- Figure 18: Most important factors when buying a new smartphone, NI and RoI, 2023
- Most users happy with network coverage
- Figure 19: Agreement with statements relating to mobile phones, NI and RoI, 2023
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The Market – What You Need to Know
- 7.4 million phone subscriptions in 2023
- More consumers claiming to be struggling financially in 2023
- Phone contract prices increasing
- Data usage continues to increase in NI and RoI
- RoI 5G users gaining momentum
- RoI consumers spending more time per day on devices
- 7.4 million phone subscriptions in 2023
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Market Size and Forecast
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- The five-year outlook for mobile phones
- Figure 20: Category outlook for mobile phones, 2023-28
- Subscriber levels remain broadly consistent
- Figure 21: Total number of mobile phone subscribers, IoI, NI and RoI, 2018-28
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- Figure 22: Mobile revenues, by data and voice & other revenues, RoI, 2017-23
- Postpaid contracts see 7.5% increase in RoI
- Figure 23: Mobile subscriptions, by prepay and post-pay, RoI, 2017-23
- Little change in market share between 2022 and 2023
- Figure 24: Operator share of the market, RoI, 2018-23
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Market Drivers
- Decline in healthy/OK finances
- Figure 25: How consumers describe their current financial situation, IoI, 2022-23
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- Figure 26: Consumer Price Index for all items, RoI and UK (including NI), July 2020- July 23
- Figure 27: How consumers rate their financial situation compared to 12 months previously, IoI, 2022-23
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- Figure 28: Selected issues consumers have been affected by in the last 2 months, IoI, 2022
- Networks increased prices in 2023
- Figure 29: Average cost for residential pre-paid vs. postpaid mobile phone subscription, RoI 2023
- 2% increase in RoI mobile data used between 2022 and 2023
- Figure 30: Average mobile data usage, RoI, 2017-23
- Figure 31: Average mobile data usage (GB) excluding M2M connections, UK, 2017-22
- 5G connections more than double between 2022 and 2023
- Figure 32: 5G vs 4G and 3G subscriptions, RoI, 2021-23
- Time spent on devices increases 2019-22
- Figure 33: Minute usage of mobile phones per day, RoI, 2021-23
- Decline in healthy/OK finances
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Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
- Consumers encouraged to reduce electronic waste
- Artificial Intelligence continues to advance accessibility
- Consumers encouraged to reduce electronic waste
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Who’s Innovating?
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- Sustainability efforts increasing across the mobile phone and electronic device sector
- Apple employing AI to enhance accessibility
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Companies and Brands
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- Mobile Phone Brands
- Apple
- Key Facts
- Product Portfolio
- Recent Developments
- Huawei
- Key Facts
- Product Portfolio
- Samsung
- Key Facts
- Product Portfolio
- Recent Developments
- Sony
- Key Facts
- Product Portfolio
- Recent Developments
- Mobile Phone Networks
- EE (Everything Everywhere)
- Key Facts
- Product Portfolio
- Recent Developments
- Telefonica (Virgin Media O2)
- Key Facts
- Product Portfolio
- Recent Developments
- Three
- Key Facts
- Product Portfolio
- Recent Developments
- Tesco Mobile
- Key Facts
- Products and Services
- Recent Developments
- Eir Group
- Key Facts
- Products and Services
- Recent Developments
- Post Mobile
- Key Facts
- Products and Services
- Recent Developments
- Sky Plc
- Key Facts
- Products and Services
- Recent Developments
- Vodafone
- Key Facts
- Products and Services
- Recent Developments
- BT Group
- Key Facts
- Products and Services
- Recent Developments
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The Consumer – What You Need to Know
- Apple and Samsung most popular brands
- Phone brand loyalty high
- Vodafone holds strongest consumer base in RoI and O2 in NI
- Monthly contract usage increases
- Long lasting battery most sought feature
- Most users happy with network coverage
- Apple and Samsung most popular brands
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Smartphone Brand
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- Apple and Samsung continue to be top handsets
- Figure 34: Type of smartphone brand that consumers currently personally own, NI and RoI, 2023
- Figure 35: Ownership of selected smartphone brands, NI and RoI, 2022-23
- Younger consumers drawn to Apple brand
- Figure 36: Consumers who own an Apple handset, by age, NI and RoI, 2023
- Figure 37: Consumers who own a Samsung handset, by age, NI and RoI, 2023
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- Figure 38: Agreement with the statement ‘Most of my leisure activities involve using digital technology’, IoI, March 2023
- Three quarters are brand loyal
- Figure 39: If consumers’ current handset is the same brand as their previous brand, NI and RoI, 2023
- Majority upgrade 2 years or less frequently
- Figure 40: How long consumers use their phone before upgrading, NI and RoI, 2023
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Mobile Network Provider Used
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- Vodafone holds strongest consumer base in RoI
- Figure 41: Mobile network providers used by consumers for their main mobile phone, RoI, 2023
- Figure 42: Mobile network providers used by consumers for their main mobile phone, RoI, 2021-23
- NI continues to be dominated by O2
- Figure 43: Mobile network providers used by consumers for their main mobile phone, NI, 2023
- Figure 44: Mobile network providers used by consumers for their main mobile phone, NI, 2023
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Type of Mobile Network Connection
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- Monthly contract usage increases 2020-23
- Figure 45: Type of mobile network connection, NI and RoI, 2020-23
- Monthly contract usage most popular with mature age groups
- Figure 46: Type of mobile network connection, by age group, NI and RoI, 2023
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Important Factors for New Smartphones
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- Battery life continues to be most important factor
- Figure 47: Most important factors when buying a new smartphone, NI and RoI, 2023
- Figure 48: Most important factors when buying a new smartphone, NI and RoI, 2021-23
- Battery continues to be the most important feature
- Figure 49: Consumers who consider long battery life an important factor when buying a new smartphone, by age group, NI and RoI, 2023
- NI consumers more likely to factor in brand when buying new devices
- Figure 50: Consumers who consider brand an important factor when buying a new smartphone, by gender, NI and RoI, 2023
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Attitudes Towards Mobile Phones
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- Strong level of satisfaction with network coverage
- Figure 51: Agreement with statements relating to mobile phones, NI and RoI, 2023
- Satisfaction Sees improvement 2021-23
- Figure 52: Agreement with the statement ‘I find the coverage of my phone network to be good’, NI and RoI, 2021-23
- Cost of living will see more seek cheaper deals
- Figure 53: Agreement with the statement ‘The cost of living crisis would make me opt for a cheaper contract in my next renewal cycle’, by gender, NI and RoI, 2023
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- Figure 54: Agreement with the statement ‘I would consult a price comparison site to find the best mobile phone deal’, NI and RoI, 2022-23
- Concerns over phone impact on mental health
- Figure 55: Agreement with the statement ‘I am concerned about the mental health implications of using my smartphone too often, by age group, NI and RoI, 2023
- RoI consumers more likely than NI to consider sustainability when buying a phone
- Figure 56: Agreement with the statement ‘I would consider how environmentally friendly the manufacturer is before buying a smartphone’, by gender and socio-economic group, NI and RoI, 2023
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Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
- Data sources
- Generational cohort definitions
- Abbreviations
- Data sources
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