March 27, 2007
USA. Mobile phone sales ring in strong
Consumer mobile phone purchases in the U.S. jumped by double digits in 2006, spurred by music-enabled devices and Bluetooth capabilities, according to a study released Tuesday by Market Research Firm NPD Group, reports ZDNet.
"During the fourth quarter of 2006, 39 million units were purchased in retail stores, marking the largest three-month sales period in the year. That increase represented a 14 percent jump over the same period a year ago."
... Despite strong sales growth during the year, cell phone makers still encountered meager profits, as they engaged in price wars in emerging markets.
-- Music-enabled phones represented 32 percent of all sales in the fourth quarter.
-- Mobile phones with Bluetooth capability accounted for nearly half of all consumer phones sold during the fourth quarter.
-- Camera phones generated two-thirds of all mobile device sales during the fourth quarter.
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