Mac News Network View: Standard | Headlines | Categorized | Slim
Mac News Network
Mac News iPod News Reviews Forums
Apple Stock Quote: 194.34 ( +0.3099 )
 



RSS/XML Feeds | More



Desktop Headlines
Best Buy: too many smartphones on market
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 @ 3:50pm

About half of all prospective smartphone buyers don't get one because of the glut of models, Best Buy noted today in a study. Of those who don't already own a smartphone, 47 percent said they were "too confused" by the sheer number of phones and range of features. Roughly 63 percent of all those studied didn't own one because they thought it was too expensive; 39 percent of those who don't own one specifically hated the shopping experience.

The retail chain also hoped to disabuse notions that smartphones are primarily bought for work-oriented purposes. Over half of those that own that class of device, at 58 percent, want to play music; 41 percent want social networking and 36 percent value games.

An unusual gender split also exists for apps, Best Buy adds. Women almost always valued apps more than men. They were also more likely than men to value built-in features like SMS messaging (71 percent versus 46 percent), photography (55 percent versus 30 percent), music (44 percent to 25 percent) and GPS (51 percent versus 33 percent). Men only valued calendars more than women did, with 46 percent putting a value on the organizer where 39 percent of women put the same importance on the feature.

While Best Buy doesn't try to explain the findings itself, they play directly into media-friendly phones like the iPhone while downplaying devices running platforms like Windows Mobile that often downplay media features and favor calendaring and other work chores.

Comments on this Article
Print Friendly Version
Email to a Friend
Add MacNN to Your RSS Feeds
Buy from the Apple Store


Related Stories:

Most Recent Stories:
  • Zune 4.3 brings 3D game support, faster web - 12:40 PM EST
  • Apple readying dual-mode GSM/CDMA iPhone? - 9:50 PM EST
  • Radio Shack to sell iPhone - 6:40 PM EST
  • Review: LaCie Sound2 Speakers - 6:25 PM EST
  • Jumsoft launches Aperture Themes 2.0 with 16 themes - 6:10 PM EST
  • Italian company entering Mac clone business - 5:45 PM EST
  • Sonos Controller 3.1 for iPhone adds Twitter, improved UI - 5:40 PM EST

    Today's iPodNN Stories:
  • Zune 4.3 brings 3D game support, faster web - 12:40 PM EST
  • TiVo 802.11n adapter surfaces in FCC filing - 4:50 PM EST
  • ThinkPad netbook to ship in January? - 3:50 PM EST
  • Nintendo again shoots down talk of Wii HD - 2:15 PM EST
  • ASUS' Ion-based Eee PC 1201N due in December? - 12:00 PM EST
  • Reader reaction
    Found 28 comments

    yes

    258285

    Because choice has always been a bad thing. That's why people stopped buying cars. And just think of all the people who never buy a house because they just have too many choices.

    Comment posted by: testudo

    wrong

    258286

    people stopped buying cars/houses because the economy tanked and they either lost their jobs or could no longer afford to pay rent/mortgages.

    Comment posted by: GeneralDMac

    Pff

    258287

    I don't believe it. People answer surveys the best they can, but a survey can't read minds. Someone who says "I am interested but won't buy because I don't know what I want" aren't really interested.

    Comment posted by: njfuzzy

    re: yes

    258288

    Not to mention the simple fact that they were already capable enough of making a choice among the dumbphones, where there is probably an order of magnitude more choices.

    Comment posted by: cmoney

    The paradox of choice

    258289

    If you don't believe this phenomenon is real, read "The Paradox of Choice" by the psychologist Barry Schwartz. The classic example from six years ago is how many cell phone/payment plan options there were from just one vendor. Consumers are being asked to make intelligent decisions based on noise rather than data, and they're making the intelligent choice: not buying.

    Frankly, I suspect one of the reasons for the iPhone and iPod's success has been the bewilderment of choice: faced with no other really salient facts, many people think, "Apple makes good stuff. The heck with trying to compare hundreds of choices on the basis of cost/benefit. I'll just buy what I know is probably a pretty good product."

    Comment posted by: gurman

    re: wrong

    258291

    whoooooooosh!

    Comment posted by: cmoney

    think GM

    258293

    No one said choice was a bad thing, I read "too many choices".
    And you may want to stay away from referencing the auto industry if you're trying to make an argument for choice. GM will be the first to tell you that too much choice can definitely be a fat and unhealthy thing.

    Comment posted by: c4rlob

    sample group

    258294

    i'd be curious about the complete breakdown of demographics in this sample group. i'm willing to bet a majority portion of this group that is confused by choice are older, and confused my lots of technology in general. In 5 to 10 years, plenty of older demographics will have no trouble choosing and using "smartphones" or whatever they'll be called at that point.

    Comment posted by: EternalGuest

    People I know aren't

    258295

    very tech savvy and the number of features on a handset excites them and bewilders them at the same time. They don't like reading manuals and get frustrated at features they can't figure out. Apple has this beat with the iPhone because many people can pick them up and get to the easiest features quickly and then can expand since the interface is relatively consistent. I've never used a Windows handset so I don't know how complicated it is. I could easily handle a complicated handset because I've always enjoyed reading manuals.

    But I understand people who can't figure out menus and I would never try to pack so many features into a handset that the average person can't figure them out. That's why I don't understand the tech-head snobs that think because a handset has every feature in the book and beats the crap out users trying to figure out how to access the features think a Windows handset is such a great device. For them yeah, but not for the average user. I say, don't build devices for tech-heads, build them for the not so tech savvy and you'll make a lot more money from sales.

    Choice can be confusing for the uninformed especially when it comes to weighing particular features. Try to buy what you need the most in features and find out if they're simple to access.

    Comment posted by: iphonerulez

    Plan cost

    258297

    For me the cost of the plans is too high. Two phones with data and text (otherwise why get a smartphone), is about $200/month or $2400/year. I'd rather pay $40/month for two voice-only phones, and spend the difference on two new PCs a year (or other technology).

    Comment posted by: macemoneta
    More Comments:.. 1..2..3..Next
    Your Comments
    In order to post comments, you must be a registered member of the MacNN Forums and logged in. Please login with your MacNN Forums username and password.

    MacNN Forums Login:

    MacNN Forums Password:

    Not a member of the MacNN forums? Register now for free.

     
    Contact Us: News Tips | About/Advertising | Feedback

    XML | RSS | Slim | Avantgo | Mobile/PDAs | Headlines | JavaScript Feed
    Desktop Headlines
    | Search | Archives-

    Buy from The Apple Store, iTunes.com, Amazon.com,
    Buy.com, TechDepot, OfficeDepot, Computers4Sure, or donate.

    Copyright ©1995-2005 MacNN (Mac News Network). All rights reserved. Privacy Policy