This is exactly the type of trend I have been looking for....most of the trends in Korea (color screens, camera phones) have eventually hit the rest of the world. Article courtesy of Cooters over on the Qualcomm board....
english.chosun.com
Sales of MP3 Mobile Phones to Break 5 Million at Home This Year
Sales of MP3 Mobile Phones to Break 5 Million at Home This Year
The number of MP3 mobile phones that mobile phone producers market domestically will break 5 million units by the end of this year.
According to an industry on Sunday, the “Big Three” of the domestic handset makers -- Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Pantech & Curitel -- are supplying 4 to 5 million units of MP3 phones to the domestic market this year.
If SK Teletech, Motorola, VK and other producers are added, the size of the domestic MP3 phone market gets bigger. It seems that about 30 percent of 18 million units of mobile phones in this year’s domestic market will be MP3 phones.
The industry expected to supply about 3 million units this year but the actual sale outran expectations by 2 million. This phenomenon may be explained as more rapid “evolution” in mobile phones.
Samsung Electronics noted that of the 8 million units of mobile phones to be supplied to this year’s domestic market, 2~3 million of them will be MP3 models. A Samsung official said, “Most of the new models that are to be launched by the end of this year will be MP3 phones.” He explained that the MP3 phone supply might very well outstrip forecasts.
This year, LG Electronics introduced Korea's first MP3 mobile phone, the “LP3000,” which has sold over 300,000 units, and the company expects that the sale of their MP3 models will easily smash through 1 million units this year. An LG official noted that of the 20 new models to be introduced in the domestic market by the end of this year, 80~90 percent of them will be MP3 phones. He also said MP3 functions will become a basic function of mobile phones like camera function.
Pantech & Curitel said it expects 1 million of its 3 million units of supply to be MP3 phones. Most of its 15 new models will be MP3 mobile phones. The company added, “We plan to provide MP3 function as a basic function.” It explained that therefore, the domestic MP3 market should greatly expand. |
