The Different Factors Why Students Prefer China Phones

I. Introduction

There is a growing trend among young peoples in the Philippines

today that is sure interesting to study about. This year, not only Nokia,

Samsung or Sony Ericsson has taken large shares of the mobile phone

industry in the Philippines1. China Phones, phones manufactured in the

new industrial giant China, had invaded the mobile phone industry.

China Phone is a general term for phones that are made in China

and are sold in the Philippines in cheaper prices. The distinctive quality of

a China Phone is its lower prices2 compared to the more expensive brands

such as Nokia and Motorola. Interesting observation about these phones

is that some phones are physically copied from original phones, (design,

name and brand). Thus it is common to call China phones as 2nd hand

phones or fake phones.

The popularity of these phones maybe attributed to its costs. China

phones are affordable. The price ranges from a lowly P3000 for an

affordable China Phone to the very expensive yet feature-laden P22,000

China Phone. .

Yet, the phone’s popularity can’t only be equated with one factor.

Further the phones contained limitless features that are also offered by

other high-end mobile phones. According to ProductWiki, a website

1
'China phones' slowly creeping their way to RP. Melvin Calimag. (2009).
2
China Phones. Michael Tan (2009).
dedicated to inform consumers of phone marketability, a floundering

number of features are very desirable in a phone. ProductWiki3 says:

“large coloured screens shaped perfectly to accommodate both the

new features and the camera mode. You can even read the whole
message as it appears on the screen at one time. The latest…
phones all have speaker phone, voice dialing, digital camera,
advanced ringtones, advanced messaging features, MP3 player and
FM radio … have the usual games, downloadable ringtones, voice
messaging, call waiting and other features…have the most easy to
use and user-friendly navigation keys especially for SMS inputting
and sending.”

Further China Phones also provide 3G. 3G is the latest way of new

technologies that are being infused with the cell phones. Lately, one of

the growing trend of the China mobile phone industry it now offers dual

sim capacity. This means that a phone can now transact calls or text

messages not just in one network but two. For example, a phone now can

receive text messages from both Globe Telecom subscribers and Smart

subscribers.

This study then becomes one of the first academic thrusts of

understanding China Phones and its marketability and the culture it

creates towards the youth.

II. Statement of the Problem

The objective of this study is to find out the factors that shape the

preferences of the youth toward China Phones.

3
ProductWiki. Date Retrieved: September 29, 2009.
This study endeavors to answer the following:

1. What factor contribute most to shaping the preference of

students buying China Phones?

2. Who among the agents of socialization influences more in

shaping the preference of the students?

3. What features do the students look for in buying a China Phone.

III. Significance of the Study

This study is among the first top tackle the issue of China Phones

and its relationship to the students, or the youth in general. This study

helps to open up the understanding that certain types of culture, or

attitudes influence the preference of certain individuals.

Further, this study is also helpful to gauge the values an individual

accommodates in buying certain products during such times of crisis.

Lastly, this study will also serve as a great help for students, scholars

who undertake the same subject matter as China Phones and Youth

Preference.

IV. Scope and Limitation

This study focused on finding out the different factors that result in

the preference of the students in buying China Phones. The determination

of the factors of why the students prefer China Phones is done through
the dissemination of simple survey questionnaire to the respondents. The

areas included are income level, certain factors that influence the

attitudes of students, the influence of the agents of socialization, and the

features of the phone.

V. Respondents of the Study

The respondents of the study are students of Mindanao State

University at Naawan. There a total of 11 BS Fisheries students who

owned China Phones ranging from fake Nokias to a brand called Multi-

Colored Mobile.

VI. Guide Questionnaire

Please Answer the following:

1. What kind of China Phone do you have? _______

2. How much does your China Phone costs? (please check)

P1000-P2000 __ P3000-P4000 __ P5000-P6000 __

P2000-P3000 __ P4000-P5000 __ P6000 or more __

3. What drives you to buy a China Phone?

a. affordability b. features c. design d. trend e. brand

4. Who do you think influences you more in buying a Chna Phone?

a. parents (mother/father) b. siblings (sister/brother) c. relatives d.

friends e. classmates

5. Do your parents offer comments on you buying a China Phone? If yes,

do you follow them?

a. yes __ , __ (yes/no)

b. no __

6. Do your friends offer comments on you buying a China Phone? If yes,

do you follow them?

a. yes __ , __ (yes/no)

b. no

7. Do your classmates offer comments on you buying a China Phone? If

yes, do you follow them?

a. yes __ , __ (yes/no)

b. no

8. What features do you look for in buying a phone?

a. camera b. mp3 c. games d. touch screen e. tv f. internet g. fm

radio h. video recording i. sound recording

9. What would you rather buy?

a. an expensive original phone

b. a cheaper China Phone

10. What would you rather buy?

a. a China Phone with 3mp camera that cost less

b. an original phone with 3mp camera that cost more

11. Are you satisfied with you China phone?

a. yes

b. no.

VII. Data Presentation and Findings.

These are the findings of the study.

How much does your China Phone costs?

P1000–P2000 111
P2000-P3000 111111
P3000-P4000 11
P4000-P5000
P5000-P6000
P6000 or more

Table 1. This table shows that out of eleven students asked, 6 students

had bought their phones at the P2000-P3000 range. Still pretty cheaper

compared to the standard P5000 phones sold by Globe telecom and

Smart mobile.

What drives you to buy a China Phone?

a. affordability 11111111111
b. features 11111
c. design 111
d. trend
e. brand

Table 2. This table shows that the first thing that the students think

of purchasing a China Phone is their affordability. Features came in close

second, and further 3rd is the design.

Who do you think influences you more in buying a China Phone?

a. parents (mother/father) 1111
b. siblings (sister/brother) 1
c. relatives 111
d. friends 11111111
e. classmates 1

Table 3. This table tells us that friends, or peers as agents of socialization

have more influence on students that made them buy China Phones. It is
remarkable how the parents had become 2nd in line for influencing their

child’s preference in buying a China phone.

Do your parents offer comments on you buying a China Phone? If

yes, do you follow them?

a. Yes 111
b. No 11111111

Table 4. In connection with table 3, table 4 provides that parents

somehow does not provide certain comments on their children’s decision

to buy China Phones.

Do your friends offer comments on you buying a China Phone? If

yes, do you follow them?

a. Yes 11111111
b. No 111

Table 5. This table shows that indeed students hear comments from

friends, in the way consulting them of buying China Phones. A small

number of them does not ask any comments from them.

Do your classmates offer comments on you buying a China Phone?

If yes, do you follow them?

a. Yes 111111
b. No 11111
 Table 6. More so, in this table, the students had asked their

classmates about buying a China Phone. This maybe the case for maybe

some classmates may turn out to be friends on the other hand.

What features do you look for in buying a phone?

a. camera 11111111
b. mp3 11111111
c. games 1
d. touch screen 1111111
e. tv 11111
f. internet 11111111
g. fm radio 11
h. video recording 1111111
i. sound recording 111

Table 7. In this table, camera functions, mp3 (music) and the

internet provided the functions that the students look for in buying a

mobile phone. This is closely followed by touch screen functions and video

recording. This result reflects the fine tuning of today’s youth to modern

technology and to the world of the internet.

What would you rather buy?

a. an expensive original phone 1111
b. a cheaper China Phone 1111111

Table 8. This table shows that students preferred China Phones

rather than original phones. This is in customary to the direct adjectives

we associate with original phones as expensive, and China phones as

cheap.

What would you rather buy?

a. a China Phone with 3mp camera that cost less 11111111
b. an original phone with 3mp camera that cost more 111

Table 9. This table reveals that students like to buy a China Phone

embedded with 3mp camera that cost less rather than an original camera

that costs more.

Are you satisfied with you China phone?

a. Yes 1111
b. No 1111111

Table 10. This table shows the data that most students are not

satisfied with their China Phones. The researcher did not further put on

the questionnaire as to why had they become indifferent with their

phones.

VIII. Conclusion and Analysis

Most students who had participated the research had bought heir

phones in the range of P1000-P4000. This price bracket is categorized as

somewhat cheaper in comparison to branded phones in Smart and Globe

kiosks that sells for P5000 and above. In this shortage of enough money
and resources to buy for higher ended phones with valuable features, the

students had shown the value of thriftiness in this dire economic

situation.

Considering that these students had bought their phones whole-

heartedly or half-heartedly, the students showed practicability in choosing

China phones over the hefty-priced branded phones. Choosing

affordability and practicability as reasons in buying a China phone means

that these students had become more secularized themselves and shown

great respects for adopting changes brought in by the environment.

As these students still aged from 16-20, almost all of these

students lived within their parents. Yet, surprisingly, students found it

easier to consult friends and classmates than their own parents in

matters relating to buying China Phones. The reason may not have been

grasp by the researcher, but the researcher recommends that further

studies should be undertaken to understand the indifference of students

of asking their parents toward this subject.

Further, the study also noted that cameras, mp3 functionability and

internet connectivity are three major functions that students are looking

for in choosing a China Phone. These functions are being highlighted by

the fact that in today’s world connecting to the internet is a must and not

a luxury. This tells that students are not only thinking about money and

use, but they see their phones as objects of multi-tasking capability. They
want that their phones hold, internet, camera and musical functions rolled

into one.

Interestingly, the research found out that these students showed a

little less satisfaction with their phones. This contradiction has

dumbfounded the researcher to find the reasons why. Preceding

questions were asked into which ones is favorable, a cheap China Phone

or an expensive China Phone. The researcher then recommends further

that a substantial research is to be initiated to know the reasons why the

students still are not satisfied with their China Phones, though they

provided reasons to become favorable with it.

In the end, this researcher found out that the factors of

affordability, functionality, practicality and substantial peer pressure lead

to the students of buying China phones.

Bibliography

Calimag, Melvin. (2009). 'China phones' slowly creeping their

way to RP. http://www.mb.com.ph/node/218270/china-phone.
Date Retrived: Spetemebr 29, 2009.

ProductWiki. (2006). The Most Preferred Mobile Phones.

http://www.productwiki.com/home/article/the-most-preferred-
mobile-phones-nokia-phones.html. Date Retrieved: September 29,
2009.
Tan, Michael. (2009). China Phones.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20090527
-207327/China-phones#. Date Retrieved: September 29, 2009.