Samsung dominates online ads

Samsung mobile phones now account for nearly 50 per cent of all mobile phone adverts that are posted online in the country.

This phenomenon is as a result of the introduction of several smartphones onto the Ghanaian market by Samsung, which seemed to have caught on well with mobile phone users.

According to online classifieds website, Tonaton.com, used smartphones now account for about 80 per cent of all mobile phones that are put up for sale on online classified websites in Ghana.

More than 5,300 Samsung handsets, valued at about GH¢2.9 million, have been posted for sale on Tonaton.com alone as of February, this year.

This represents an increase of 103 per cent compared to six months ago when only 2,600 Samsung handsets, valued at GH¢1.27, million were put up for sale on the same website.

The figures also show that Samsung’s share of uploaded ads on online classified websites have increased over similar popular brands like Nokia, Apple and Blackberry, which continue to record marginal growth rates.

HTC, a fairly new smartphone entrant in Ghana, however, continued to enjoy high levels of patronage, recording a growth of 70 per cent within the six months under review.

Speaking on the trends in an interview, Mr Jaspreet Singh, the Director of Mobile Division at Samsung Electronics West Africa, said the phenomenon reflected global trends, since majority of the growth in the mobile phones market is in smartphones.

“We at Samsung have seen the fast market transformation from feature phones to smartphones and we continue to offer consumers variety of smartphones, from the affordably priced entry level ones to premium smartphones. We are driving smartphone growth in Ghana by continuous innovation in our quest to ensure we have a Smartphone to cater for the needs of everyone,” he said.

In their monthly analysis on the communications sector in Ghana, the National Communications Authority showed on their website that data usage continues to increase in the country and is currently pegged at 47 per cent.

And with such a high percentage of mobile phone users actively subscribing to data services, smartphones will continue to play a critical role in the Ghana market.

The Marketing Manager of Tonaton.com, Mr Kwabena Opoku-Boakye, said, “Smartphones allow users to easily connect to the Internet to download music, videos and use social media platforms. It also makes it easier for them to either upload stuff for sale or look for items to buy on Tonaton.com. I am, therefore, not surprised that smartphones currently account for about 80 per cent of mobile phones that are put up for sale online.”