Shoppers Keeping Smartphones on Speed Dial
Fact: All smartphones are popular. But some really know how to make a first impression, to the tune of millions of ringing cash registers.
Case in point: The HTC Hero (featuring Google’s Android operating system), which sold out at almost every Best Buy store the day it arrived. Other top smartphone sellers include the Palm Pre, Apple iPhone and the BlackBerry Tour and BlackBerry Bold according to the retail giant. But although the numbers are close and fluctuate from week to week, says Rivera, the iPhone is still the clear winner, which could be attributed to the mobile handset’s vast array of downloadable app options and high-profile marketing. In an interesting side note, DuBravac says that the CEA tries to organize its surveys by general categories, not by brands. However, so many consumers wrote in Apple’s hardware as an answer that the iPhone and iPod were awarded their own grouping – a testament to these devices’ overwhelming popularity.
Unfortunately for Apple, most industry analysts say that the iPhone’s popularity badge might get pinned on another smartphone soon. Per a report by market research firm Gartner, Google’s Android operating system could take the iPhone down a notch in the next few years. If people bought the iPhone for the device’s options and abilities, says Gartner, then consumers will definitely invest in Android smartphones, with these handsets’ application store and development environment backed by the power of Google’s search engine, giving users endless options and computing abilities.
Netbook and Notebook PCs Prove Popular Bargains
Michael Amkreutz, vice president of product management at Newegg.com, says his company has seen “explosive growth” in the area of portable electronics recently, especially in the area of netbooks. Amkreutz accredits the recent price adjustments [mostly price lowering] of netbook and notebook PCs for this boom, with ultra-portable mini computers outselling notebooks by a large margin due to their lower price point and convenience factor. Still, no matter which brand you choose – Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc. – Best Buy and Newegg both say that laptops, especially netbooks, are always top sales contenders, expecting a major spike in revenues as the holiday gift-giving season commences.
Which, of course, explains the category’s explosive growth: Whereas a couple months ago Best Buy only had three or four netbooks options available, its stores now carry models from every hardware manufacturer under the sun. According to Rivera, the netbooks that usually walk out the door with a customer are the ones most willing to compete on pure economics, like HP’s 10-inch models for $299.99 and the Asus Eee PC for $249.99. Even so, more expensive options can still do well thanks to their relatively low asking fee too: The Dell Mini has been coming in as a close second with a slightly higher price tag of $399.99.
