The humbler but vital handset

The past two years have seen a shift in buyer preferences in the Lebanese handset market. Anecdotal indicators – in absence of trustworthy statistics – show that residents are resorting to longer device usage before buying a replacement handset, and opt for seeking to repair malfunctioning but still serviceable smartphones.  When buying a new smartphone, they have been down-shifting from flagship and high-end models to perhaps less sleek, less powerful, and less glittery but utilitarian devices, seemingly infusing moments of rational choices into the country’s previous culture of business glitterati and at-any-price buyers of the latest ICT gadgets.  Thus, where once the latest iPhone and Samsung Galaxy flagship (great for the casual show-off) was considered a reputational necessity and the, mostly bygone, bling brand Vertu glowed in a few select showrooms, there appears today to only be subdued hampering for the global top brands’ latest flagship models by the few