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Recent iPhone Buyers Compared to Initial Buyers
In Part II of the iPhone story, we have found that recent iPhone buyers do not match the profile of initial iPhone buyers.
Smartphone Purchasing BehaviorWith the share of smartphones increasing, it is worthwhile to examine the purchasing behavior of smartphone buyers compared to non-smartphone buyers.
Carrier Switching BulletinThis month we examine customer satisfaction with specific carriers and the likelihood of customers switching their carriers.
iPhone's First Round Punch Lands Hardest on Treo and T-MobileiPhone is bridging the gap between consumer-focused feature phones and productivity-focused smartphones, according to new report.
What Influences Mobile Phone Buyers?This month we examine the purchase process and what influences consumers when they select cell phones.
Bluetooth-Enabled PhonesThis month’s Wireless Bulletin examines the sales, penetration, and usage of Bluetooth technology in mobile phones. Our new format – similar to last month’s examination of music-enabled phones – allows you to make direct comparisons between the two handset attributes.
Music Enabled PhonesThis month’s Wireless Bulletin reports on music enabled phones form a holistic perspective, encompassing sales of new handsets, penetration into the subscriber base, and actual usage of this functionality. We hope you find this new data-focused format informative and useful to your business.
The End of “Kid Phones”?In early April of this year, Verizon Wireless and AT&T’s Cingular division announced they were putting the brakes on the so-called “kid phones” in their respective product lines. The fact that companies are now refraining from selling these particular phones is unsurprising, though, considering how poorly they’ve sold.
Mobile Gaming, Licensing and Original IPMobile gaming continues to be a significant revenue generator. At this point, though, the most important purchase driver for any particular game is its popularity and name recognition outside the mobile realm.
What Motivates Mobile Phone Buyers? It’s Not Just PriceWhat motivates buyers when they choose a new mobile phone? Many factors come into play, of course, but having the desired capabilities and a flip-phone form factor rise to the top most often, according to recent NPD data.
Getting Smart: Consumers Give Smartphone Market a LiftThe U.S. smartphone market has entered a significant growth spurt. In recent months, consumers have snapped up these devices in record numbers, according to recent data from The NPD Group. Given the expected new models, and the strong push by carriers, a golden era for smartphones could be just around the corner.
Picture Messaging Snaps into PlacePicture messaging is finally catching on with U.S. consumers after a couple of years of sluggish growth -- and this trend is adding to carriers’ bottom lines.
There's No End in Sight for Handset Branding BattleIn the wireless industry, there has always been an ongoing struggle between carriers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) about who “owns” the customer. This battle extends to the mobile phones that carriers sell, and takes the form of a clash over whose logo appears on handsets.
Text Messaging – The (Silent) 2,000 Pound GorillaIt’s not surprising that the industry tends to focus on new and emerging technologies, such as the widely discussed mobile music and mobile TV/video services. But the fact remains that wireless data today is dominated by SMS.
Sports Fans Check Scores and Stats on Mobile Phones,But Usage Still in its Infancy
Given the needs die-hard sports fans to keep track of their favorite sports and teams, it’s only natural that some of them find the mobile phone to be a great way to stay in touch with scores, team moves and the wildly popular fantasy sports leagues.
CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2006Aside from Paris Hilton’s brief appearance during a keynote address, the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2006 conference in Los Angeles offered few surprises for wireless industry watchers. But several broad themes emerged at the conference, which point to continued market growth – especially when it comes to the delivery of wireless content aimed at consumers.
Industry Eyes Mobile Music Content SalesMobile content, led by mobile music, is becoming an ever-larger revenue stream for carriers and content companies. As consumer interest in music-enabled mobile phones increases, more and more companies are seeing dollar signs in over-the-air music sales.
Sales of Music-Enabled Mobile Phones on the RiseSales of mobile phones that are capable of downloading, storing and playing back full music tracks are on the rise. On a quarterly basis, music-enabled mobile phone sales have risen from just over 7 percent of new models sold in the second quarter of 2005 to 16 percent in the first quarter of this year.
Disney: The New MVNODisney Mobile's recent launch as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) has brought a renewed focus on marketing wireless voice and data services to families.
Virgin Mobile Uses Advertising to Sweeten the Dealfor Subscribers
Virgin Mobile added a little spice to its offering when it announced plans to give its customers the ability to get free talk time by participating in mobile advertising and marketing campaigns.
Nailing a Cool PhoneThere’s little dispute that Motorola’s RAZR mobile phone has been a trend-setting device for the past eighteen months. Its main attractions have been its thinness, its graceful nickel-plated copper-alloy keypad, and its sexy anodized aluminum casing.
Wal-Mart – The New Wireless Powerhouse?With the retail environment for wireless phones and services becoming more competitive day-by-day, retailers of all types need to be aware one particular retail behemoth is making inroads onto the wireless space – Wal-Mart.
Landline Replacement Is Actually HappeningWe’ve heard a lot about consumers who were moving away from landlines and migrating toward using their mobile phone as their only – or at least primary – telephone. But now, there is solid evidence showing that total and partial landline replacement is actually happening, according to recent NPD Group consumer data.
Consumers Cool to Mobile MusicPlaying and downloading music to mobile devices is one of the most-discussed trends in wireless data services today. Yet for all the hype, the industry is still in an experimental mode. The bulletin outlines 10 critical facts gleaned from NPD’s research, and provides information about how those facts specifically affect the mobile music business.
CTIA Wireless 2006 - NPD’s Wireless Analysts Reporton Conference Highlights
CTIA Wireless 2006 is the premiere U.S. conference for the wireless, mobile computing and wireless Internet industries. As you might already know, NPD was there in full force with analysts Neil Strother, Glen LeBlanc, Charul Vyas and Drew Hull taking to the convention floor to get a first-hand look at the next wave of wireless innovation.
Location-Based ServicesConsumers clearly have an interest in LBS, carriers have the capability, and the technology is mature and deployed. So why did another season pass without a word from the industry? The answer lies squarely with carriers who continue to question the consumer value proposition of LBS.
Challenging Carriers with ContentContent owners and aggregators are gearing up to go direct to consumer with content options. Those hoping to operate successful D2C content stores must not only build a superior and differentiated offering, but also compel consumers to change their current purchasing behavior.
Have You Patched Your Phone Lately?Viruses. Spyware. Malware -- for years consumers have had to deal with them on their PCs. Are they prepared to fight them on their mobile phones, too?
The Return of the Candy Bar?Once the de facto form factor, the candy bar has had to traverse a rough road in recent years. While new models of this style have recently entered the market, some question whether these new riffs on an old theme can push the candy bar form factor back into popularity.
Free Advice: Don’t Forget to Target Older CustomersSometimes it pays to listen to your elders – even in the youth-focused mobile phone industry: The quiet yet sustained message coming from America’s older folks is, “We’re here, and our numbers are growing.”
The New Net Add - Chasing the Road WarriorOne of today’s fastest-growing wireless services has little to do with placing a call using the hottest new handset. Many new wireless subscribers will not be dialing their new devices; they will be plugging them into their laptops as they strive for constant high-speed data connectivity.
Power Players in Mobile GamingThe latest information from The NPD Group indicates that the mobile games market in the US is healthy. Recognizing the long-term viability of this market opportunity, large traditional video game publishers like Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and others have been steadily expanding their presence in mobile games over the past year; however, barriers to future growth still exist.
Only One-Third of Consumers are Porting Wireless NumbersRemember when local Wireless Local Number Portability (WLNP) was the hottest topic in the business? The mandate to provide number portability had carriers in a snit over what it might do to their bottom lines. If it seems like only yesterday, it wasn’t: That was back in November 2003.
Are Consumers Ready for a Change in Wireless Retail?Recently, a company called Independent Mobile, or IMO for short, opened its first store in the Columbus, Ohio area. While the opening of a new store is hardly newsworthy, the concept behind IMO is unique and worth discussing in greater detail, especially in the midst of the wireless industry’s heaviest selling season of the year.
Answering Consumer Ambivalence with MorePush-To-Talk Handsets?
Recently several new push-to-talk (PTT) handsets have been introduced in the market. They all appear to have the right features and network support, so it seems that for end-users, PTT handset choices have never been more numerous. If so, then why is it that demand for PTT handsets has stalled, according to recent NPD Group data?
Java OS Handsets on the Horizon: New Trend or Just a “Blip”?Java on handsets is nothing new in the wireless industry, but a Java-only handset is. So don’t be surprised if in 2006 if your next mobile phone has a Java operating system, or perhaps a combination of Java and Linux. That’s because both LG and Motorola are pushing Java into the very core of some mobile phones, thus challenging incumbent smartphone operating systems like Symbian, Windows Mobile and Palm.
Ringtones & Full Track Download Pricing: No Conflict Here!Question:
What do these numbers have in common: $0.00, $0.99, $1.75, $2.50, $3.25?
Answer:
They are all price points that drive the frequently asked question, “is there a pricing conflict between ringtones and full song downloads?”
The mobile video market generates a tremendous amount of excitement, hype and promise of things to come. With everybody’s eye on the future, however, it’s easy to forget that this business is a reality today. Though accounting for less than one percent penetration of US wireless subscribers, several key players have begun to entice customers into actually using these types of services.
Bluetooth Finally Has Some BiteAfter many years of hype, it appears Bluetooth has finally cut some teeth. In just a few short years, the technology that allows for short-range wireless connectivity has begun to make significant inroads into the mobile phone arena. Data from The NPD Group shows that nearly one in six devices sold during the third quarter of this year was Bluetooth-enabled. Continued strong growth is expected in the coming quarters.
QWERTY Handsets Make a RunThere are some very good reasons why we’re seeing more Mobile phones with QWERTY keyboards in the handset market today. Not only are there are more models to choose from, but also more tech-savvy consumers are finding reasons to buy them.
Have we heard last of the ringback buzz in the US?Recent market data from The NPD Group shows positive
signs that ringbacks can be big business... if the industry plays along
What a difference a year makes. Last fall ringback tones were the prime topic of interest among the major players in the mobile content industry at the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment show. This year advanced music services and video dominated discussions about the next great mobile content products; however, the lack of ringback buzz shouldn’t lull you into thinking that ringbacks are dead.
Windows Mobile OSMicrosoft is Catching Up
Microsoft has struggled for years to establish a foothold among smartphones with Windows Mobile, and it is finally showing some real progress. Slowly, but surely, Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system (OS) is making inroads with consumers.
Prepaid Mobile Phone ServiceIs the Stigma Really Gone?
In the mobile phone world, pre-paid service plans have been associated with less-than-desirable subscribers: especially those with bad credit or no credit at all. Some might even say that the communications divide, or chasm, has been exemplified by the mobile phone plans consumers choose.
Linux Mobile Phones and the U.S. MarketPenguins may be on the global march, but not in America . . . yet
Around the globe, Linux is gaining traction as an accepted operating system (OS) for mobile phones. It might appear, then, that the Linux-supporting Penguin folks have a clear path to glory. But no matter what’s happening internationally, so far Linux has not demonstrated similar success in the domestic U.S. market.
Invasion of the Tween PhonesParents Are Ready. . . But What About Their Kids?
A new mobile phone category is quickly emerging in the U.S. market: Tween phones. These child-friendly phones are aimed at helping busy parents stay in touch with their tweens (i.e., children age 8 to 12).
MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators)Does Brand Matter?
Conventional wisdom would indicate that a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) needs an established brand to achieve success. But in today’s wireless world, that’s not necessarily the case.
Music Phone WarsThe Battle Lines Are Drawn, But Who Will Emerge Victorious?
The music-phone arms race is about to begin in earnest. Major suppliers have all announced their initial weapons, and now the cellular world waits for the first major deployments.
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