Although holiday sales are projected to be dismal, consumer electronics still have a place on holiday wish lists. New research from US operator, Sprint reveals that almost half of Americans surveyed (45%) would like to receive or are planning to give consumer electronics of some sort this holiday season. Approximately one-third of those gift list wishes are for a smartphone, which is not just for the professional crowd anymore. Of those surveyed, 35 percent would consider buying a smartphone for someone between the ages of 13 and 17.
While smartphones are showing up on more holiday lists than last year (18 percent want to receive or are more likely to give a smartphone this year compared to last year), consumers remain concerned that the devices are hard to set up and use. The number of people who would consider giving a smartphone as a gift increases significantly if the device were ready to use right out of the box (62%) or came with a one-on-one training session (45%).
"Our survey confirmed that nearly seven in 10 Americans are hesitant to give a gift they think might be returned," said Kim Dixon, senior vice president of retail for Sprint. "ThereÃ's a perception that smartphones can be difficult to use, but holiday shoppers can be confident when they give someone a Sprint device. Each phone comes with a personalized session with a Ready Now-certified associate, so your gift recipient can feel comfortable using our product and get the most out of features that are important to them."
Understanding the latest consumer devices and all their bells and whistles is not always easy. More than one-third of those surveyed have been frustrated because they couldnÃ't set up an electronic gift they received within the first 24 hours of receiving the gift. In fact, when it comes to setting up a new electronic device, 26 percent would rather review their latest 401(k) balance, and 22 percent would rather clean a toilet.
This data is the result of a telephone survey conducted among a national probability sample of 2,008 adults, comprising 1,007 men and 1,001 women, 18 years of age and older, living in private households in the continental United States during the period of Nov. 6-10.
Posted to the site on 18th November 2008
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/34696.php