The rise and rise of photo frames
Special Feature: Photo giftsIf US experience is any guide, gift giving will be the largest motivator of future digital photo frame purchases.
According to a new study by In-Stat, 38% of consumers who said they plan to purchase a digital photo frame in the next 12 months, said they would do so as for a gift item.
The study, titled ‘Wi-Fi Represents Strongest Opportunity in Global Connected Digital Photo Frame Market’ found that nearly 60% of respondents identified integrated wireless connectivity as a desired feature on their next digital photo frame purchase.
As popularity increases in proportion to lowered price points, overall global shipments of wireless and wired digital photo frames are on the rise, the company said. In-Stat expects worldwide unit shipments of digital photo frames to reach 50 million by 2013.
“The weak economy is certainly slowing growth in this market, as consumers cut back their discretionary spending,” said In-Stat analyst Stephanie Ethier. “However, pricing continues to fall and awareness is growing. In addition, competitors are introducing next generation digital photo frames that support advanced functions, such as multimedia playback of movie clips and audio files, and include support for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity.”
In contrast, online photo albums proved the least popular choice for people looking to share their digital photos; only 5% of respondents said they would prefer to create an online photo album using a web-based service such as Flickr.
