## 1 Introduction
When planning their purchase, customers consider factors such as brand reputation, price, functionality, durability, social influences, and comparative advantages of the product. These elements help shape the purchase decision and consumer preferences. In this study, we analyzed the factors influencing the purchase of smartphones, with a focus on the mode of purchase and how consumer preferences have evolved both before and after the pandemic. Smart mobile devices, such as smartphones, have evolved to incorporate advanced processing and communication features. They offer a wide range of uses, including calling, messaging, social interaction, gaming, and access to applications that are useful in everyday life. By combining wireless telephony technology with internet connectivity, email applications, and social networking, smartphones stand out from traditional mobile phones by using a modern operating system. Since their debut in the 1990s, the popularity of these devices has grown exponentially, driven by advances in telecommunications and digital technologies [9]. Although gender has been analyzed in previous e-commerce studies, our study uniquely quantifies the extent to which gender influences brand preference and purchase channel choice through both statistical tests and predictive modeling, demonstrating how these factors are intertwined. By applying a dual-model approach, this research goes beyond simple demographic comparisons and provides a structured empirical validation of how gender influences smartphone purchase behavior in the post-pandemic era. The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally altered the way consumers interact with retail environments [10], accelerating the transition to e-commerce and digital consumer engagement. While studies [11] since the beginning of the pandemic have documented a temporary shift toward online shopping, there is still limited research assessing whether these behaviors have been maintained in the post-pandemic period. This study addresses this gap by providing empirical evidence of long-term changes in consumer behavior and examining how these trends continue to shape the smartphone industry. In addition, gender-specific purchase preferences have become increasingly relevant as marketing strategies now prioritize personalized digital experiences and targeted advertising [12]. This study introduces a comparative gender analysis to assess whether male and female consumers exhibit statistically significant differences in brand preference, price sensitivity, and purchase channels, a topic often neglected in recent smartphone adoption research. By combining statistical analysis with predictive modeling, this research goes beyond descriptive results and provides a more precise quantification of these differences. The objectives of our study involve the following:  
O1: To analyze changes in consumer behavior in smartphone purchasing, given the transition from physical stores to online shopping. O2: To assess the influence of gender on brand and channel preference, providing a statistical and predictive analysis of this phenomenon. O3: Determining the key factors influencing brand loyalty and price sensitivity, analyzing whether these variables are driven by demographic or economic factors. Given the evolution of consumers' digital behavior, companies can leverage the findings of this study to develop personalized marketing strategies based on artificial intelligence, tailoring promotional campaigns to consumers' preferences for online and offline shopping. Companies can also help improve digital retail experiences by optimizing recommendation algorithms that take into account gender-based shopping behaviors. Last but not least, companies can optimize omnichannel strategies by integrating e-commerce platforms with physical store experiences to bridge the gap between traditional and digital retail.