More than half of Irish people still use a dumbphone, but smartphones top the gift wishlist

18 Sep 2013

Research commissioned by Argos finds that, while Irish people are still holding onto older devices, like analogue radios and VHS players, they are still adopting new technology at a fast pace – which is set to increase as the holiday season approaches.

The nationwide research was conducted by Amárach in August 2013, surveying a representative sample of the population in the Republic of Ireland.

Out of 1,001 people surveyed, it was discovered that 54pc are still using a standard mobile phone or feature phone as opposed to a smartphone, more than one-third (36pc) have and use an analogue radio, and VHS players are still in use, with a quarter of those surveyed having and regularly using one.

However, despite the affinity for old tech, Irish consumers have bought, on average, two new tech products this year – and this is expected to grow once the Christmas buying season kicks in.

In all, 62pc of those surveyed bought a tech product this year. “This research really highlights that the Irish have a great appetite for new tech products and like to stay ahead of the curve with the latest smartphone, tablet, digital camera or fashionable pair of headphones,” said Simon Barry, technology trading manager, Argos.

“While retaining older tech devices is still evident from the research, Irish people are keeping apace of tech developments,” he added.

Clearly, innovation and newness is important to the Irish consumer, with 74pc citing this as the most important factor when investing in tech, leaving it second on the list behind price at 89pc.

And what’s the tech product most Irish people want for Christmas? Argos’s research tells us it’s a smartphone, with 13pc planning to put this on their list for Santa.

Elaine Burke is the host of For Tech’s Sake, a co-production from Silicon Republic and The HeadStuff Podcast Network. She was previously the editor of Silicon Republic.

editorial@siliconrepublic.com