November 21, 2003
Stats Roundup
In an article entitled "Why camera phones are so darned popular", ZDNet summarizes the most important stats surrounding camera phones:
"According to research group IDC , 80 million camera phones have been sold worldwide since their introduction three years ago. IDC estimates that six million camphones have been sold in the U.S., where they were introduced about a year ago. Even more surprising (to me, anyway): This year, camphones are expected to outsell digital still cameras, 57 million to 44 million.
By comparison, the previous all-time fastest growing consumer technology was the DVD player, which sold 30 million units in its first three years on the market following its 1997 introduction, according to the Consumer Electronics Association".
The article also brings up a good point with regard to this last statement:
"To be fair, the comparison between DVD players and camera phones isn't exact. For example, I think the estimates for DVD sales should include PCs with DVD players. I also think they should be measured on a "households" basis: While a given household might have two or more camphones, how many DVD players does any one family need?"
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