Mobile phones are popular holiday
gifts, with more consumers acquiring a new mobile in December than any
other month, reported M:Metrics.
Popular devices such as the iPhone and Nokia N95 are expected to sell well. According to
M:Metrics, Sony Ericsson's k810i and Nokia's N95 post the highest
satisfaction scores in Europe, while the LG EnV and iPhone vie for the top
position in the United States. Other holiday phones selling in the U.S. are the LG Voyager, and T-Mobile Shadow.
Mobile phones are popular holiday
gifts, with more consumers acquiring a new mobile in December than any
other month, reports M:Metrics, the mobile media authority. The measurement
firm revealed for the first time today its historical device sales and
satisfaction data in the United States and Europe, and found that 15
percent of all European subscribers who acquired a new phone in 2006 did so
in December, a rate that is 90 percent higher than an average month. In the
United States, 12 percent got their phone in December, which is 40 percent
above the monthly average rate.
"December is consistently the highest-performing month for new device
purchases, and the operators have responded by embellishing their handset
portfolios in time for the holidays," said Paul Goode, senior analyst,
M:Metrics. "As we look out at the Christmas season, one way to gauge how
devices may perform is their popularity, so the iPhone and N95 should do
well at the premium end of the market. These fun, stylish devices have the
potential to compel consumers to choose to gift a mobile device over other
popular consumer electronics such as MP3 players and videogame consoles."
One dimension of M:Metrics' research into mobile media consumption is
understanding how mobile devices relate to a consumer's propensity to
access mobile services. The firm measures multiple aspects of device
ownership, including whether the device was purchased in the previous
month, and how the consumer rates their level of satisfaction with it, on a
scale of one (dissatisfied) to 10 (extremely satisfied). According to
M:Metrics, Sony Ericsson's k810i and Nokia's N95 post the highest
satisfaction scores in Europe, while the LG EnV and iPhone vie for the top
position in the United States.
Top Devices By Satisfaction Score (1-10), September 2007
France Germany Italy
Device Score Device Score Device Score
Sony Ericsson K800i 9 Sony Ericsson K810i 8.8 Nokia N95 9.29
Sony Ericsson W810i 8.79 Sony Ericsson W850i 8.72 Nokia 6310i 8.83
Sony Ericsson W850i 8.58 Sony Ericsson W880i 8.67 Nokia 3330 8.74
Top Devices By Satisfaction Score (1-10), September 2007
Spain UK US
Device Score Device Score Device Score
Nokia N95 9.14 Sony Ericsson K810i 8.68 LG VX9900 enV Orange 9.24
Sony Ericsson K800i 8.74 Samsung SGH-E250 8.63 Apple iPhone 8GB 9.21
Sony Ericsson Z610i 8.4 Nokia 2310 8.52 LG AX355 8.98
"Consumers who love their mobile phone are more likely to recommend it to
someone else, and potentially buy it as a gift," observed Goode.
"High-end phones, such as the N95, Sony Ericsson's k850 and the Walkman
series are being heavily promoted across Europe as Vodafone and Orange tout
these multimedia devices and their 3G capabilities in the shadow of the
iPhone. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Verizon just launched the iPhone-like
Voyager and
T-Mobile responded with the Shadow earlier in the month."
M:Metrics applies trusted media measurement methodologies to assess the
audience for mobile content and applications. As the world's most
authoritative mobile media measurement firm, M:Metrics delivers the most
accurate mobile market metrics through the world's largest monthly survey
of mobile subscribers as well as automated data collection methodologies.
Below are the findings of its September Benchmark Survey.
French Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: September 2007
Subscribers Percentage
Activity (1000s) Percentage Change
------------ ----------- -----------
Sent Text Message 33,491 74.40% 1.10%
Used Photo Messaging 10,681 23.70% -0.30%
Used Personal E-Mail 2,835 6.30% 3.60%
Purchased Ringtone 1,818 4.00% -3.10%
Used Mobile Instant Messenger 1,396 3.10% -4.30%
Used Work E-Mail 866 1.90% -7.70%
Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver 729 1.60% -3.90%
Downloaded Mobile Game 699 1.60% 0.50%
------------ ----------- -----------
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2007. Survey of French mobile
subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 30
September, 2007, n= 12,785
German Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: September 2007
Subscribers Percentage
Activity (1000s) Percentage Change
------------ ----------- -----------
Sent Text Message 38,166 80.30% 0.40%
Used Photo Messaging 10,433 22.00% 0.80%
Used Personal E-Mail 2,849 6.00% 6.80%
Purchased Ringtone 2,102 4.40% 3.20%
Used Mobile Instant Messenger 1,540 3.20% 5.00%
Used Work E-Mail 1,436 3.00% 5.70%
Downloaded Mobile Game 1,166 2.50% 0.50%
Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver 952 2.00% 3.10%
------------ ----------- -----------
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2007. Survey of German mobile
subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 30
September, 2007, n= 15,989
Spanish Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: September 2007
Subscribers
Activity (1000s) Pct Pct Change
------------ ----------- -----------
Sent Text Message 27,314 84.00% 0.30%
Used Photo Messaging 10,504 32.30% -0.10%
Used Personal E-Mail 2,596 8.00% -4.80%
Used Mobile Instant Messenger 2,064 6.40% -4.20%
Used Work E-Mail 1,667 5.10% -1.50%
Downloaded Mobile Game 1,656 5.10% 4.20%
Purchased Ringtone 1,548 4.80% -6.50%
Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver 640 2.00% -6.60%
------------ ----------- -----------
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2007. Survey of Spanish mobile
subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 30
September, 2007, n= 12,688
Italian Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: September 2007
Subscribers Percentage
Activity (1000s) Percentage Change
------------ ----------- -----------
Sent Text Message 39,309 86.40% 0.50%
Used Photo Messaging 14,423 31.70% -1.20%
Used Personal E-Mail 3,941 8.70% -2.80%
Used Mobile Instant Messenger 2,665 5.90% 0.70%
Used Work E-Mail 2,083 4.60% -5.00%
Purchased Ringtone 1,795 3.90% -0.20%
Downloaded Mobile Game 1,287 2.80% 5.40%
Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver 1,016 2.20% 4.50%
------------ ----------- -----------
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2007. Survey of Italian mobile
subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 30
September, 2007, n= 13,226
U.K. Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: September 2007
Subscribers Percentage
Activity (1000s) Percentage Change
------------ ----------- -----------
Sent Text Message 39,424 86.60% 0.30%
Used Photo Messaging 13,793 30.30% -1.00%
Used Personal E-Mail 3,467 7.60% 0.80%
Used Mobile Instant Messenger 2,204 4.80% -1.80%
Downloaded Mobile Game 2,172 4.80% -0.20%
Used Work E-Mail 1,873 4.10% 3.90%
Purchased Ringtone 1,507 3.30% -3.40%
Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver 695 1.50% -5.70%
------------ ----------- -----------
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2007. Survey of U.K. mobile
subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 30
September, 2007, n= 16,075
U.S. Mobile Subscriber Monthly Consumption of Content and Applications
M:Metrics Benchmark Survey: September 2007
Subscribers Percentage
Activity (1000s) Percentage Change
------------ ----------- -----------
Sent Text Message 94,891 44.10% 2.20%
Used Photo Messaging 42,067 19.60% 1.70%
Used Personal E-Mail 20,425 9.50% 1.70%
Purchased Ringtone 20,034 9.30% 1.80%
Used Mobile Instant Messenger 15,102 7.00% 2.90%
Used Work E-Mail 12,430 5.80% 3.20%
Downloaded Mobile Game 7,148 3.30% -0.20%
Purchased Wallpaper or Screensaver 6,410 3.00% 1.10%
------------ ----------- -----------
Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright © 2007 Survey of U.S. mobile
subscribers. Data based on three-month moving average for period ending 30
September, 2007, n= 33,813
About M:Metrics
M:Metrics is the mobile media authority. As the only research firm to
measure the audience for mobile media, M:Metrics provides the most accurate
metrics on actual mobile content consumption by applying trusted media
measurement methodologies to the mobile market.
M:Metrics' monthly syndicated data service gives clients the critical
insights and intelligence required to inform smart business strategies and
the competitive benchmarks needed to evaluate the performance of
competitors and partners. M:Metrics is a private, venture-funded
corporation headquartered in Seattle, with offices in San Francisco and
London.
About M:Metrics Data
Based on continually refreshed samples of nationally representative mobile
phone consumers, M:Metrics reports summarise market size, device reach and
key demographic and mobile phone usage characteristics.
The data presented here is drawn from an extensive survey questionnaire
that collects specific device model and carrier subscription information
from each month's sample of mobile phone subscribers, and also drills down
into specific details related to current and past usage of various mobile
phone applications and content. Data collected from each sample are
statistically balanced and projected to the total national population of
mobile phone subscribers.