Multimedia enabled mobile phones look set to double over the next two years, despite an apparent lack of consumer interest.
Despite the ability to play digital music on handsets shown to be one of the more popluar multimedia applications cited by US respondents a recent report by In-Stat claimed the feature was not deamed that important by users.
Explaining the findings, Bill Hughes, In-Stat analyst, said: “Subscribers in some global markets will slowly and grudgingly adopt the limitations of the current wireless multimedia marketplace, while other markets will mirror the Japanese market where not having multimedia capability in a mobile device is the exception.”
In-Stat also found that consumers were most interested in receiving real-time news, weather, sports and finanical information via their mobile phone.
Despite the lack of interest in the US, a earlier report from In-Stat found that multimedia and technologically advanced mobile phones are increasing in popularity in the Asia-Pacific (see High-Tech Phones Push Forward In Asia-Pacific).
Over half of the phones shipped within the region in 2005 had camera functions. In-Stat expects this trend to continue, reaching 67% of the mobile phone market by 2009.
According to figures from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), worldwide sales of music via the internet and mobile phones generated sales of $1.1 billion in 2005, up from just $380 million in 2004 (see Global Digital Music Sales Reach $1.1 Billion In 2005).
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