14 DAY TRIAL // Leading custom research company TNS has recently announced the results of its annual Global Telecoms and Insight Study, and has stated that the recession is ended when it comes to the mobile phone market in 2010. The study, conducted on over 24,000 consumers in 35 markets, shows that around 53 percent of Americans (55 percent Canada) intend to acquire a new mobile phone in the first half of 2010, a figure much larger than the 24 percent (19 percent Canada) registered last year.
Moreover, the GTI 2010 study also shows that the handsets that are expected to grow the most during the ongoing year are those that feature a touchscreen display, as 29 percent of consumers (28 percent Canada) are planning the purchase of such a device as their next phone. At the same time, it seems that phones with QWERTY keyboards are also poised for growth, with 23 percent users (19 percent Canada) stating that they plan getting one as their next handset.
Tom Buehrer, senior vice president of TNS, commented “Increased consumer confidence, pent-up demand and a raft of new smartphones have created conditions akin to a 'perfect storm' for 2010, and the industry stands to make out handsomely. Purchase intent is at unprecedented levels and has risen dramatically since last year, which presents the industry with an opportunity to drive handset sales and simultaneously build incremental revenue through content and data plans.”
When it comes to the large number of devices users can find now on the market, things seem to be a little confusing, as some consumers find it difficult to distinguish one phone from another. “There are potential barriers to growth. The sheer number of phones on the market means that network quality is deteriorating as operators struggle to cope with data overload. Also, competing devices such as netbooks and data access cards have the potential to take a large chunk of mobile data's available bandwidth. If these challenges can be dealt with, the industry can look forward to what will be its most prosperous decade to date,” Buehrer also stated.