Global camera phone shipments to reach 860 mln in 2009

Source: Telecompaper

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures projects that worldwide camera phone shipments will grow from 178 million units in 2004 to over 860 million units in 2009. By 2009, camera phones are expected to account for 89% of all mobile phone handsets shipped.

Primary drivers behind this explosion are improvements in imaging functions (i.e. image sensors, zoom, auto focus); rapid declines in prices for this functionality; higher-speed wireless bandwidth; and easier-to-use handsets, services, and peripherals.

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures’ new multi-client study entitled Mobile Imaging: Technology Trends, Consumer Behavior, and Business Strategies explores this explosive market, providing companies with a global perspective on consumer behavior in each of the major markets for mobile imaging. This study is designed to help digital camera and mobile handset manufacturers; wireless service providers; and photo printing equipment, services, and supplies vendors succeed in this market.

“Society is moving into an era of ubiquitous imaging that offers the ability to capture, store, send, print, and view an image anywhere,” commented Jeff Hayes, a Director at InfoTrends/CAP Ventures. “We believe mobile imaging will have the kind of impact that e-mail had on document communications in the 1990s. We project that the total number of images captured on camera phones will reach 227 billion by 2009, exceeding the number of photos taken on digital still cameras and film cameras combined!”

Research for the study included interviews with 6,360 consumers across four major geographic regions, namely North America, Western Europe ( U.K., France, Germany, Spain), Japan, and China.

Key findings from the study include:

12.5% of Japanese consumers with a camera phone indicate that it is their primary camera that they use most frequently, the highest percentage of any region.
Approximately half of the consumers that do not currently own a camera phone have considered purchasing one.
Consumers in North America and China are taking about 20 pictures per month with their camera phones, compared to only 5 per month in Japan.
Consumers are printing around 8% to 10% of their camera phone pictures, except in Japan where they are only printing 1% or 2%. Image sharing rates are about twice that of printing rates.
“Camera phones will put immense competitive pressures on one-time-use cameras as well as low-end to mid-range digital still cameras,” noted Hayes. “There is a very real potential for camera phones to replace disposable film cameras and low-end digital still cameras. Digital SLRs and high-end point & shoot cameras should maintain their niche, but for many consumers the camera phone will become their everyday camera.”

This study provides extensive research and analysis by region, age, income, and other demographics and usage patterns. It includes regional market forecasts for camera phone handsets (units, revenue), prints, print value, pictures, image sharing revenue, and other key items.