NPD: Shoppers flip out for flip phones

It’s still all about the flip when it comes to mobile phones.
A new report from research firm NPD Group concluded that while many factors are at play in a buyer’s decision on a new cellphone, what remains most important is having a flip-phone form factor that includes the customer’s desired capabilities.
Buyers continue to rank these two criteria highest, generally in the 40th percentile, and have done so for nearly the past two years, according to the report. The third most-cited reason buyers purchase a particular device is brand-name recognition and the handset makers’ overall reputation in the market.
More interesting, however, is that price was of little interest to the respondents who participated in the study. It ranked twelfth among all criteria in the fourth quarter of 2006. Moreover, while low price wasn’t likely to sway the buyer’s choice, if a price is too high, sticker shock usually ensues.
Age also plays a role in the purchase of a handset, the report concluded. Buyers in the 18-to-24 range typically desire a phone with a coolness factor, those in the 25-to-44 set are mostly after the features that will deliver the capabilities they’re looking for, and most consumers 45 and older seek out a flip phone that can be closed. All in all, the study found that handset manufacturers with a limited flip phone product line typically struggle more than their counterparts that offer more flip phone choices.