I just read this post, very intresting and show how user is emotionally attached with their mobile devices and design really matters. 🙂

Japanese place the highest emphasis on “design” when choosing a mobile phone, according to a survey by MyVoice Communications, Inc. The company conducted the survey targeting mobile phone and PHS users in January 2007, in which it asked the reason why they chose their current handset models, and 37.9% of all (10,400 respondents) answered “because I liked its design.” “Because I was used to its menu and mode operation” came next at 20.2%, followed by 16.5% responding “because I liked its manufacturer.”

Asked when they purchased their current handsets, “more than 1 year ago” accounted for the most 55.3%, followed by 20.8% responding “in the last 6 to 12 months.” By manufacturer, Sharp won 20.2%, Panasonic Mobile Communications constituted 14.1% and NEC made up 13.9% of all the respondents’ current handsets. The same three companies won the largest shares in the respondents’ previous handsets as well (15.7% by NEC, 14.5% by Sharp and 13.3% by Panasonic).

Asked whether they would want to use a new function that allows current handset settings (such as ring tones, wallpaper, etc.) to be transferred to a new handset, 50% of respondents answered “yes,” indicating that many Japanese mobile phone users would rather continue to use handsets that they are used to than seek the novelty of a new handset.

vivek