• September 3, 2010

More than half of American mobile phone owners are unaware of the month and year when their subscription contract expires.

According to a recent study commissioned by Best Buy Mobile, only 40% of those consumers received a reminder notice that the contract was about to expire. The survey, conducted for Best Buy Mobile by GfK Roper, sheds light on consumers' knowledge and shopping habits around mobile plans, devices, technology and accessories.

Nearly a quarter (23%) of mobile shoppers made their phone choice based on the device itself, more than two-thirds (67%) said their decision was based on carrier. Only 10% selected their phone based on the operating platform (e.g. Google's Android or Apple's iOS).

Forty-five percent of consumers look for multimedia capabilities on their phone, while 32% want GPS navigation. Twenty-six percent want to access social networking sites, and 15% want to make eCommerce purchases directly from their phones.

Nearly a third (29%) said they were looking to replace a landline phone.