Analysts predict that a quarter of a million Australian consumers will be iPhone users by the end of this year. Telsyte’s latest research into Australian mobile market suggest that today’s iPhone launch will be the catalyst for a surge in revenue for 3G device vendors, with nearly one in 10 Australians expressing a strong purchase intention for such handsets.
"The Apple iPhone, in particular, has been singled out as the next-gen mobile handset of choice,” said Telsyte Research Director Warren Chaisatien. He estimates that around 1% of all mobile users and 2.4% of 3G users, will be iPhone customers within the next six months. “Interestingly, the study reveals that customers of 3 Mobile, the only major carrier yet to secure a local iPhone deal, show the strongest iPhone purchase intention,” he adds. <[
The study "Show Me The Money: Telsyte's 2008 Australian Consumer Mobile Market Custom Study" found that there is strong interest in fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) handsets with one in four households stating they have no reason to keep a landline at home. Australians also revealed that they are receptive to mobile advertising and are “highly open” to the idea of free handsets and free calls subsidised by advertising. "We found location-based services will be extremely powerful not only as a stand-alone offering, but also as a critical element behind advertising and other emerging applications," Chaisatien said. The research was conducted with over 800 Australian mobile phone users across all age groups.
