BlackBerry top of class for UAE students; Preferred over iPhone, Nokia in survey

Published Sunday, October 14, 2012

By Staff

Students based in the UAE have a clear preference for BlackBerry smartphones, a new survey claims.

An extensive and varied sample of university-goers from across the UAE were quizzed on their smartphone purchasing habits, with 65 per cent revealing that they opted for a BlackBerry device in the past year.

Sixteen per cent chose Apple, while 11 per cent chose Nokia for their mobility needs.

Bold 9900 proved the most popular device (22.58 per cent), followed by Bold 9790 (19.35 per cent) and Torch 9860 (12.90 per cent).

Another of the survey’s key observations was the fact that 88 per cent purchased mobile phone last year. Looking ahead, 44 per cent are expected to replace their device within the next six months and 29 per cent within the next six to 12 months. Five per cent aim to stick with their smartphones for the foreseeable future.

Topping the smartphone wish-list are BlackBerry’s next Bold incarnation (26 per cent) and Apple’s iPhone5 (24 per cent%).

“The findings are extremely encouraging,” said Faisal Al Bannai, CEO, Axiom Telecom, which released the survey.

“UAE students are among the most connected in the world and it seems that, at least for the time being, BlackBerry it ticking all the right boxes on campus.”

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