According to an annual global smartphone consumer survey by Counterpoint Research, among consumers planning to buy a phone within the next six months, 63% have noticed rising smartphone prices. Among various everyday products and services, smartphones stand as one of the two categories where consumers most clearly feel price increases, alongside fuel/gasoline, groceries, and daily necessities. Chinese consumers show the highest awareness of smartphone price hikes at 81%, followed by Germany (70%), India (66%), and the United States and the United Kingdom (both at 50%). Tarun Pathak, Research Director at Counterpoint Research, stated: "Rising memory costs are pushing up smartphone prices, and OEMs have limited room to absorb the impact of cost increases. Therefore, according to our global smartphone price increase report, by the end of 2026, the average price of smartphones sold globally is expected to rise by 20%, with newly released models seeing year-over-year price increases of up to 30%. Affected by this, consumers tend to delay upgrading and choose to buy during major promotional events; at the same time, installment payments and trade-ins are also supporting demand in the premium market."

This Counterpoint Research survey targeted consumers planning to purchase a smartphone within the next six months, with samples covering China, India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, collecting over 5,000 valid questionnaires. The survey focused on smartphone purchase intentions, with emphasis on consumers' willingness to buy during different festival or holiday promotional seasons, as well as their trade-off strategies in the face of continuously rising smartphone prices. The survey results show that 50% of respondents plan to buy a phone during the upcoming festival promotion or holiday season. Across different age groups, younger consumers pay more attention to promotional offers: 56% of Gen Z and 50% of millennials will wait for festival promotion or holiday seasons to purchase smartphones. This trend is particularly evident in India, where about 70% of consumers (69%) choose to buy during festivals or holidays, followed by Germany (57%) and the United States (48%).

Claudia Krehl, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, said: "For consumers planning to buy a new phone, the upcoming festival promotion season is a key opportunity, giving them a chance to lock in offers before prices rise further. If they continue to delay, consumers may face higher purchase costs in the future. 44% of consumers said that if the discounts are insufficient, they are still willing to increase their budget for their desired model; 35% of consumers will look for alternative models within their budget, which provides opportunities for other brands to gain market share; another 37% of consumers will choose to postpone their purchase."

In China, the 618 mid-year shopping festival (29%) and "Double 11" (25%) are key moments influencing consumers' purchase timing. In Germany, Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday both draw consumer attention, with 35% of consumers each planning to buy around these two events. In India, as the festival season approaches, Diwali becomes an important smartphone shopping moment, with e-commerce promotions, offers, and discounts being the main drivers, accounting for 53%. Black Friday is a major purchase moment for consumers in the United States (54%) and the United Kingdom (53%), with more than half of consumers planning their purchases around this event.

Arushi Chawla, Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research, stated: "Festival promotion seasons are gradually shifting from simply seeking low prices to pursuing the right value for money. Attractive smartphone offers in consumers' eyes vary significantly across markets: in India (37%) and China (20%), price discounts are most favored; German consumers prefer free storage upgrades (22%). American consumers like offers that give them a free phone (27%); British consumers value free gifts or accessories (22%). This shows that brands need to tailor festival promotion plans according to local consumer expectations."

As smartphones become increasingly important in daily life, consumer demand for more advanced technology continues, while rising prices make purchase decisions more complicated. Therefore, the festival promotion season not only relates to whether brands can offer attractive discounts, but will also influence consumers' purchasing choices.