Motorola Phone Entices, Eco Buyers Go for High End

A new green mobile phone study from Strategy Analytics has good news for manufacturers: Eco-minded consumers are willing to pay a premium for Earth-friendly mobile phones, as long as the devices are feature-rich and the intentions behind them are sincere.
 
Strategy Analytics surveyed 2,818 wireless device owners in the United States and Western Europe about their interest in purchasing a phone that has been manufactured in a sustainable, ethical and eco-friendly manner, and that has a low impact on the environment during use—or, for the purposes of this article, is “green”—as well as how much they would consider paying for such a phone and which companies they believe put a focus on the environment.
 
In Western Europe, 39 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they would be looking for a green phone, and 36 percent of U.S. respondents said the same. Even among this group, however, the top three ranking considerations when purchasing a mobile phone were battery life, ease of use and coverage.
 
Those same and equally eco-minded U.S. respondents, however, were willing to pay an average of $15 more for an eco-friendly phone than the average U.S. respondent.
 
“Consumers who will pay a premium for eco-friendly products are those with disposable income,” said Kevin Nolan, an analyst with Strategy Analytics’ User Experience practice.
 
“And these people want wow products,” added Nolan. “They have a taste for good design, and they likely already own fully featured smartphones, so they are very reluctant to go back to a low-spec mobile device.”
 
Nolan points to examples such as the Toyota Prius, which is “substantially more expensive than other vehicles in the same class,” and The Body Shop products as examples of how environmentally conscious consumers are willing to pay extra for products that meet their ethical standards.

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