Survey: Smartphones edge out other technology for gifts
Austin, Texas – Smartphones are starting to edge out other popular forms of consumer technology as holiday gifts. According to a new survey from RetailMeNot and The Omnibus Company, within the next five years, less than one-in-five winter holiday gift givers plan to buy someone a portable music player (19%), desktop computer (19%), GPS device (13%) or regular cell phone (9%) for the holidays.
In addition, nearly half of consumers (46%) surveyed say they would prefer to use a smartphone over a digital camera to take most of their pictures. In other holiday-related technology findings, nearly half of the consumers surveyed feel that children should have their own cell phone (46%) or tablet (44%) at age 13 or younger. Additionally, nearly half of parents (48%) are willing to consider purchasing a tablet for their child.
The most popular electronics parents are willing to consider buying for their children are gaming consoles (62%), handheld educational devices (58%), portable music players (54%) and handheld gaming devices (54%). Fathers are more likely than mothers (68% versus 57%) to consider buying a gaming console for their child.
According to the survey, the top three categories of gifts purchased on Black Friday are apparel, electronics and entertainment. More than half of consumers (56%) believe that Black Friday provides the most savings out of all the major winter holiday sale days, beating out Cyber Monday, Free Shipping Day, Green Monday and Thanksgiving.
"With a variety of new products and technologies being introduced into the marketplace, this holiday season is all about upgrading your tech," said Trae Bodge, senior editor of The Real Deal by RetailMeNot. "Black Friday sales present a huge opportunity to score deep discounts on consumer electronics. To make the most of Black Friday, smart shoppers need to map out a game plan to get this year's hot gadgets at bargain prices."