Substantial Market Niche Emerging for Wi-Fi/Cellular Phones
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., June 13, 2007 -
A recent survey of US early adopters by high-tech market researcher, In-Stat, found that almost half of those respondents planning to replace their cell phones want Wi-Fi capability. To meet the growing demand, there is an avalanche of dual-mode phones in the pipeline. By the end of this year, the Wi-Fi Alliance will have certified more than 100 different models of Wi-Fi/cellular phones.
“In the years ahead, dual-mode VoIP-capable phone systems will have increasing competition from other technologies, like femtocells for cellular coverage, but widespread Wi-Fi deployment and the variety of Wi-Fi/cellular handsets offers Wi-Fi/Cellular based systems a significant head-start in the market,” says Allen Nogee, In-Stat Principal Analyst. “Other technologies, such as WiMAX and Ultra Wideband, are also poised to enter the handset market, but Wi-Fi fills a unique niche that WiMAX and UWB cannot match.”
Recent research by In-Stat found the following:
Phones supporting voice over Wi-Fi are limited in numbers today but will exceed 100 models by year end.
VoIP will be big; the number of Wi-Fi/cellular phones shipped incorporating some form of SIP voice support is forecasted to exceed 50 million by 2011.
Many of the issues with early Wi-Fi/Cellular handsets, such as limited battery life, will be resolved in models released during 2007.
Recent In-Stat research, Worldwide Demand for Wi-Fi/Cellular Combo Phones (#IN0703888WS), covers the market for dual-mode Wi-Fi/Cellular handsets. It includes a description of the players who make Wi-Fi/cellular handsets a reality, a description and pictures of some recent model Wi-Fi/cellular handsets, results of an In-Stat survey about the demand for Wi-Fi in cellular handsets, and worldwide Wi-Fi/cellular forecasts through 2011. These topics paint a clear picture of the Wi-Fi/cellular handset market and identify some of the challenges ahead for this market.
This research is part of In-Stat’s Wireless LAN service which examines new applications for Wireless LAN (WLAN) in the business, home, and public sector. It covers emerging technology trends, as well as extension technologies like wireless mesh networking and wireless security. Included are forecasts, market perspectives, and segmentation (by technology and application) for WLAN chipsets and end-products.
This research is also provided in In-Stat’s Worldwide Mobile Devices service, which provides comprehensive analysis of the worldwide market for cellular phones. In addition to reporting on current and historical worldwide handset sales, this service defines major industry trends and forecasts trends and sales volumes. This is accomplished by analyzing the component trends, major phone categories, infrastructure developments that affect devices, and extensive end-user primary research.
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In-Stat’s market intelligence combines technical, market and end-user research and database models to analyze the Mobile Internet and Digital Entertainment ecosystems. Our insights are derived from a deep understanding of technology impacts, nearly 30 years of history in research and consulting, and direct relationships with leading players in each of our core markets. In-Stat provides its research through reports, annual subscriptions, consulting and advisory services to inform critical decisions. Technology and semiconductor vendors, infrastructure and device manufacturers, service providers and media companies worldwide rely on partnerships with In-Stat’s tenured, experienced staff and on our in-depth market intelligence to support critical business, product and technology decisions.
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