Determinants of Choice of Mobile Phone Brands among University Students in Nakuru, Kenya

The widespread use of mobile phones, the various information access it provides to its users, and the vast presence and significant impact of mobile phone on users’ daily life make mobile phones important devices to study. The survey study focused on the determinants of choice of mobile phone brand among university students in Kenya. The target population was 3000 students from universities in Nakuru town. A stratified random sample of 106 students was used in the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing data with the help of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. The findings showed that product features (β2 =0.284 p =0.002), and media influences (β=0.357, p=0.000), had a positive significance on the choice of mobile phone handset, while price had no significant influence. The implication for the study is that marketers of mobile phones need to understand customers’ needs based on the media avenues and give much information to enhance students ’choice of mobile phone handsets. Future research that extends sampling beyond a university environment would allow for a more representative assessment of factors influencing consumers’ choice of mobile phones in the wider society.