Factors influencing the selection of mobile phone among university students in Kenya

Advances in technology and the marketing strategies of features together with users’ desire for new features lead to an exponential increase of the number of features to choose from. Although users use only a limited number of features available on their phones, specific features and the number of features are important when selecting the mobile phone even though the features may not be used regularly or not used at all. As noted by Ling and Huddon (2011), the influence on various orientations, e.g. accessibility and display, is generally more important to the youth. A study by Cohen et al. (2002), noted that the needs of people vary according to age group. As pointed out by Ling (2011), Gilbert and Kendall (2013), the youth use mobile phone for accessibility, display (self-image), entertainment and socialization. A study by Economides and Grouspoulou (2009) found that when purchasing a mobile phone, university students in Greece consider certain features and characteristics of the phone more important than others. According to Balakrishnan and Raj (2012); Economides and Grouspoulou, (2009) the desired features have to be determined and compared to the extra price for the added feature on the mobile phone, as price is a major factor for university students in Malaysia and Greece. Students know about the “curse of technology markets” referring to the fact that new technologies reduce in price over time. As found out by Karjaluoto et al. (2005), the expected price reduction results in some Finnish students purchasing older models of mobile phones. A study by Dresler-Hawke and Mansvelt (2008), Hargittai and Kim (2010) found that almost all university students in new Zealand own a mobile phone and most them purchased a new mobile phone, not because they wanted a new model, but mainly because their old phone was no longer functional. Another study by Tsai (2012) found that university students in Taiwan were less interested in the practical functions (e.g. battery life) when purchasing a mobile phone, and more interested in the functions related to entertainment, such as taking pictures easily. In a study by Balakrishnan and Raj (2012); Karjaluoto et al. (2005) and Petruzzellis (2010) Abstract: Mobile phone technology has reached unprecedented level leading to unconstrained selection nightmare. This study investigates the selection priorities of mobile phone among university students in Kenya. A total of 310 undergraduate students participated in the study. A survey research design was used in this study. Questionnaire was employed in collection of data and the collected data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings from this study revealed that university students yearn for the latest technology phones which come with numerous features although not all features are actually used. The study established that the phone appearance, technology used in the phone, accessibility and connectivity are the most important considerations when selecting a mobile phone. The information obtained from this study will provide a baseline understanding of the factors influencing the selection and hence usage of mobile technology among university students in Kenya. Furthermore, the study shows how mobile features can be used as indicators of mobile phone selection.