86% of Irish smartphone users would switch provider if their phone bill increased

Research for Virgin Media by iReach shows that Irish consumers feel they’re being ripped off by their current mobile phone providers and are looking for better value. 86% of 1,000 Irish adults surveyed said they would switch mobile network provider if their phone bill was to be increased and 81% said they feel they’re being ripped off my mobile phone networks.

6 out of 10 people said that price is the number one factor when choosing a provider, with coverage and data provided coming 2nd and 3rd, while 76% of smartphone users would be interested in a mobile phone contract that allows you to reduce monthly bills once you have paid off the actual cost of the smartphone.

The research also gave us a glimpse into how deeply engrained smartphones are in our everyday lives with a third of people surveyed saying they couldn’t live without their smartphones. Over half of smartphone owners surveyed said they use their phone smartphone on the couch watching TV.

Some other key points from the survey:

· Over 90% of Irish adults own a smartphone.
· 61% think “being locked into a contract” is a rip off attempt by networks.

Paul Farrell, Vice President of Commercial Virgin Media said: “This survey shows that Irish consumers are fed up of paying too much for their mobile phone bills, overpaying for handsets and generally being screwed over by mobile network providers. That’s why we’ve brought in the most competitive mobile offer in Ireland with unlimited data, calls and texts and a 30 day contract. You can also pay off your handset separately to your phone bill so you know exactly where you stand.”