Report: Mobile Phones See Healthy Holiday Sales
BY KRISTY BASSUENER
DECEMBER 10, 2001
Pre-holiday demand for all things wireless is solid, according to a new report from
Telephia and Harris Interactive. Sunday at sunset marked the onset of the
Hanukkah holiday and Christmas is two weeks away, and as the holiday season
continues, 29 percent of existing subscribers -- representing about 30 million
wireless users -- say they plan to upgrade their phones in the coming year, the
survey says. Six months earlier, that figure was 27 percent, according to the
report.
'Despite today's difficult economic climate, consumers are slightly more likely to
acquire a new wireless handset than they were six months ago,' the
Telephia/Harris Interactive National Handset Report says.
Mobile phone users aged 18 to 24 and Hispanic subscribers are most likely to
upgrade, according to the survey. As many as 39 percent of respondents in those
market segments said they would upgrade in the coming year. Of those who are
not currently wireless users, 21 percent of adults said they would buy a phone
and service plan in the coming year.
Looks mattered most to the 18-to 24-year-old crowd, when asked what features
were most important to them in choosing a handset. Adults chose the phone's
size and weight as the primary criterion for phone selection, the survey says.
Wireless vendors sold about 405 million mobile phones worldwide in 2000, but
now expect fewer sales in 2001. Last week, global projections from
manufacturers and analysts fell to between 380 million and 400 million.
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