Scalper1 News
Smartphone prices are falling in every region of the world except North America, as U.S. consumers buy ever more sophisticated handsets. Market research firm IDC forecast Tuesday that smartphone prices worldwide will fall at a compound annual rate of 7.3% over the next five years. But in North America, it sees average selling prices for smartphones increasing 2.1%. It’s the only region where prices are expected to rise, IDC says. Smartphone prices in the U.S. and Canada are already the most expensive in the world, with an average selling price of $531 this year. But IDC sees that creeping up to $567 by 2017 as consumers upgrade to phones with bigger displays and 4G LTE wireless capabilities. Premium phones from Apple (AAPL), Samsung and others are seen driving this trend. “We’re a market that’s moving away from entry-level smartphones and toward higher-end smartphones,” IDC analyst Ramon Llamas told IBD. “We’re moving more toward LTE, and LTE smartphones usually command a higher price tag than 3G phones. On top of that, you’re seeing phones getting bigger and bigger (displays).” Scalper1 News
Scalper1 News