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Worldwide Mobile Imaging: Stimulating Demand and Usage

# Pages: 150+
Publication Date: October 2005
Services: Internet Imaging Trends, Market Research
Region: Worldwide

Introduction

InfoTrends is conducting an extensive study of consumers, retailers, carriers, and technology providers to better understand the opportunities and requirements for mobile imaging devices, software, and services.

Camera phones are entering a rapid growth stage and will soon be the most common image capture device in the world. InfoTrends estimates that over 175 million camera phones were shipped in 2004, and that there will be a global population of over 1 billion mobile imaging handsets by the end of the decade. This is expected to be more than double the number of digital still cameras (DSCs).

Although handset shipments are booming, consumers are not using their camera phones to their fullest extent. InfoTrends’ research reveals that the number of photos taken, shared, and printed with camera phones is relatively low compared with DSCs, resulting in a significant unrealized revenue potential for the mobile imaging industry.

For camera phones to quickly reach their potential, technology vendors, carriers, and photo printing service providers must provide consumers with a compelling experience. Today, most camera phones lack the image quality and functionality that is required for many types of pictures. Additionally, most customers believe that DSCs are easier to use, more convenient, and more satisfying than today’s camera phones.

Improvements in the camera phone experience are occurring, but they have been relatively slow due to the differing priorities of handset manufacturers, wireless carriers, and retail photofinishers. Concerns regarding costs, usage models, pricing, and revenue opportunities are affecting product design and service offerings to the detriment of maximizing the mobile imaging potential.

InfoTrends believes that the industry needs to stimulate more photo activity among camera phone owners to accelerate (1) handset purchases, (2) picture-taking, and (3) sharing, storing, and printing services. Our research indicates that camera phone owners that take more pictures tend to share more images, print more images, and purchase handsets more frequently.

Project Objectives

The study is designed to address a number of issues, including:

• What values and benefits do consumers derive from their camera phones?
• How is usage changing over time?
• What are the differences in mobile imaging use and consumer behavior by key geographic markets?
• What do consumers view as the primary limitations and sources of frustration with their camera phones and related services?
• What are the relationships between camera phone photo capturing, viewing, sharing, archiving, and printing activities?
• How important is viewing vs. sharing vs. printing?
• How can the mobile imaging market be segmented in terms of key demographics and behavioral characteristics?
• How do consumers prefer to view, manage, share, and print their camera
  phone pictures?
• How important do consumers consider easy retail photo printing from their camera phones? What methods do they prefer?
• What product features and services will increase camera phone photo activity?
• What are the key features and service thresholds for making the camera phone a consumer’s primary camera?
• What are the risks and opportunities for mobile imaging under different product design, use case, and business models? How will ARPU change?
• What technology investments and alliances must vendors make to maximize their revenue opportunities?

Who Should Subscribe

• Handset manufacturers
• Wireless carriers
• Imaging components suppliers
• Photo printing equipment vendors
• Retail photofinishers
• Mobile imaging software vendors

Project Deliverables

Extensive analysis of the desk research, personal interviews, and structured surveys will be conducted to develop a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and issues for equipment vendors and service providers. Clients will receive a combination of reports, presentation materials, and research data for senior management, product managers and planners, and sales and marketing executives. The material will include:

• An executive summary that addresses key issues, findings, and
  overall recommendations
• A detailed written report (at least 150 pages) with text, charts, and graphs addressing the objectives of the study:
  • Technology vendor and service provider perspectives
  • Mobile imaging usage models
  • Consumer behavior profiles and market research
  • Market size and growth scenarios
  • Strategy recommendations
• A set of presentation-style overheads for internal communication of the
  research results
• A data book of the survey tabulations for additional analysis of key questions and market segments

Getting Started

For more information on this study or to sign up as a participant, contact Matt O’Keefe at +1 , ext. 115 or via e-mail at . Early subscriber discounts are available until June 30, 2005.