According to Elaine Warner at Compete Inc. in her blog, consumers were searching for an iPhone alternative and clicked for the LG Voyager.
Q4 2006 saw a 14% increase in mobile phones sales from the previous year. Compete ranked mobile phone interest by measuring the number of times visitors to major carrier websites viewed detail for specific phone models in the month of November. Models with multiple colors and styles available were not combined.
The most viewed handset in November 2007, the LG Voyager, generated 131% more traffic than the most viewed handset in November 2006. "This likely speaks to the large amount of publicity and buzz that Voyager marketing campaigns created pre-launch (check out this superfan's site) and the heavy promotional activity it received post-launch," wrote Warner.
T-Mobile improved on its continued success with the Sidekick line of handsets with three versions of the device landed in the Top 10 in November. The Sidekick is a perennial leader in online interest due to the popularity of messaging-oriented devices and the active user community that surrounds the Sidekick series.
The mix of devices residing in the Top 10 in 2007 signals a shift from previous years. Smartphones, still less than 15% of the overall market, are beginning to become more popular with consumers. Carriers promote the devices (and their high-margin data plans) heavily at this time of year, include more smartphone devices in their portfolios and recognize consumers’ increasing desire for their mobile phone to do more than just make calls. As a result, the smartphone space looks like a place for continued growth and expansion for the market.
The mix of devices residing in the Top 10 in 2007 signals a shift from previous years. Smartphones, still less than 15% of the overall market, are beginning to become more popular with consumers. Carriers promote the devices (and their high-margin data plans) heavily at this time of year, include more smartphone devices in their portfolios and recognize consumers’ increasing desire for their mobile phone to do more than just make calls. As a result, the smartphone space looks like a place for continued growth and expansion for the market.
