New Delhi, Nov 25 (IANS): Indian consumers now prefer ease-of-use (96 per cent), affordability (89 per cent), and innovative design aesthetics (88 per cent) from smartphones manufacturers who have forayed into launching tech-lifestyle brands and products, a report showed on Thursday.

Laptops (39 per cent), tablets (31 per cent) and smart bands (29 per cent) are among the top three tech products that consumers are using the most, according to the CMR 'Connected Consumer Survey 2021'.

Across an array of new consumer tech product segments, smartphone original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are tapping emerging smart lifestyle opportunities with their Smartphone + IoT product portfolio, thus competing against traditional consumer tech brands

"Today's connected consumers are yearning for more democratised tech lifestyle experiences. To satisfy this consumer need, many smartphone brands have forayed into new consumer product segments. Of these, the smartphone brands that enjoy a strong brand salience amongst their users, are winning big on the consumer trust," said Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR.

As per the findings, realme enjoys the highest brand trust score of 55 per cent while Samsung was placed second with 51 per cent and Apple third with 49 per cent.

As an early driver of smart tech products, Xiaomi leads in brand awareness and usage in the country, the report showed.

"The high brand affinity and brand trust that some smartphone brands enjoy amongst consumers is translating into increased adoption of new consumer tech products from them," added Satya Sundar Mohanty, Head-Industry Consulting Group (ICG), CMR.