(2 August 2006 7:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Almost half of us think new technology looks cool even if we don't understand it, according to a recent Synovate survey. The study indicates that 60 per cent of the surveyed population in India are gadget freaks and brand conscious.

The global market research company Synovate also learned that while a mobile phone is the gadget most people could not live without, almost one-quarter of respondents' claim they could live without any of their high-tech toys.

Synovate surveyed 5,500 respondents in Canada, China, France, Hungary, India, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Taiwan and Thailand, asking about their attitudes toward the latest technological devices in the marketplace.

Having the newest technological gadget is important to a large majority of people in Saudi Arabia (87 per cent), Romania (65 per cent) and India (60 per cent). And across all countries, 45 per cent of respondents say that they could not live without their mobile phones, particularly Saudis (68 percent) and Thais (61 percent).

Laptops are considered the next most indispensable piece of technology across the sample (9 per cent), followed by plasma/LCD TVs (8 per cent). Not surprisingly, respondents under the age of 35 are most attached to these and other electronic devices such as DVD or MP3 players and TiVo systems.

On the other hand, Canadians are the most blasé about technology, with 52 per cent asserting that they could live without any of their high-tech gadgets. Synovate Toronto senior VP Robin Brown attributes this to a number of factors. "The older population relative to some of the developing markets surveyed is one. The less significant role that these products play in showing status in Canada is another. We also tend to see later adoption of mobile technology among consumers across North America compared to Europe due to the history of our phone systems."

When faced with a feast of choices among fast-changing technological devices, respondents are almost evenly split on what features are most important to them: Price and ease of use at 28 per cent each, and brand name at 27 per cent.

Ease of use is the priority for buyers in China (38 per cent), Thailand and Taiwan (35 per cent for both the latter). On the other hand, brand names are particularly important in India (54 per cent), Romania (52 per cent) and Saudi Arabia (50 per cent). The latter respondents are also the least concerned with price (10 per cent), in contrast to the cost-conscious French and Canadians (43 and 42 per cent, respectively). Says, Synovate India, MD, Alok Shanker, "Indians are most brand conscious of the gizmo they tote. And price to a certain extent does have ramification on the purchase decision."

Andreas Gregoriou, Synovate's MD for the Arabian Gulf, says these findings echo the results of the Synovate PAX survey in the region, which found that affluent consumers across the Middle East are feeling very confident and spending freely on high-end products. "Saudi consumers, in particular, are eager to buy the latest technology, and most of them would not be concerned over prices. It is also interesting to note that only 0.3 per cent of Saudis answered 'don't know' when asked what brand they associate with high-tech products, which shows that they are extremely brand conscious."

Synovate also probed attitudes toward new technology - particularly love, fear and caution. At the one end of the scale, 34 per cent of Chinese love new technology and couldn't live without it, a feeling shared by 32 per cent of Saudis. Most respondents globally (49 per cent), however, say they are fascinated by technology but also cautious of it. And 29 per cent of those surveyed - led by 44 per cent of Thais and Slovaks - admit that it's too hard to keep up with all the latest technologies.

"Another catalyst for this fascination is that mobile phones and the internet help them, particularly teens and younger adults, bridge a social chasm brought about by the one-child family. This technology allows them to reach out and extend their social network beyond the immediate geography where they live, and beyond their constrained nuclear family. "

Synovate also uncovered some interesting demographic trends. More men than women often explain technology to their partner, friends and family (50 versus 30 per cent) and spend a lot of time learning about new technological developments (41 versus 27 per cent). And after the age of 45, the majority of respondents shift from being the ones explaining new technology to needing their partner, friends or family to show them how to use the latest gadgets.

But this perplexity does not dampen their enthusiasm: 58 percent of those above the age of 65 say that even if they don't always understand the latest technology, it looks cool!

Sony is cited by most respondents as the brand that leaps to mind when one thinks of cutting-edge technology, leading other manufacturers by a wide margin across all age ranges. Samsung and LG are the second most recognised brands amongst respondents under age 35, while Philips is more frequently associated with high technology by those above 35. Indians vote for LG and then Sony as two cutting edge technology companies.