| 5 Predictions for the Cell Phone Industry in 2007
By Allan
Keiter
As you consider purchasing a cell phone and plan in 2007, here are some things to consider.
The Razr Will FizL: With no fewer than 6 models on the market and 50 million sold, the basic model of this phone is two years old now. Regardless of the bells and whistles that are being added, this phone just can’t hold on to the cool factor in the face of newer phones. Razr retail sales should decrease in numbers in 2007.
Color Wheel: The past year has seen phones come out in multiple colors to lengthen their shelf life. The Razr has many, and the popular LG Chocolate music phone is now out in four flavors. The selection of colors in more lines will only continue to grow as the year progresses.
Higher IQs: Recently launched smart phones like the Nokia 62, Samsung BlackJack, BlackBerry Pearl, Palm Treo 680 and T-Mobile Dash have jumped to the top of the popularity lists. These phones offer many of the organizational and email capabilities of more expensive PDA’s, but are often slimmer, lighter and more stylish, with consumer-friendly features like higher resolution cameras.
Bundled Services: With new smart phones and carriers rolling out higher speed data networks, consumers will finally be more willing to pay for and use data services. In the next year carriers will begin to bundle data and voice together, so it is easier to purchase than today. This will also give carriers a chance to add more differentiation to their rate plans, which have become quite similar over the past year or two.
WiFi Ready: Phones that work on both cellular & WiFi networks are due to shake up the cell phone industry. The advantage of these is that when you are somewhere with an available hot spot you can use the WiFi network to make the call, saving your cellular minutes. The emergence of these phones may lead to even more people cutting the cord on their home landline phone.
About MyRatePlan: A different kind of shopping comparison site, MyRatePlan offers unbiased content, filters and calculators to help consumers make more informed decisions about the products and services they research and buy online. Visit our site at http://www.myrateplan.com.
Allan
Keiter is president of MyRatePlan.com.
Founded in 1999, MyRatePlan
offers unbiased content,
filters and calculators
to help consumers make
more informed decisions
about the products and
services they research
and buy online. |
