Have you heard of Sony’s latest creation, the Walkman Phone? If not, you’re not alone. According to a recently released study on digital music devices by TechnoMetrica Market Intelligence, more than 140 million adult Americans have not heard of it.
“Sony still hasn’t gotten the word out about its Walkman Phone,” says Constantine Kambanis, an analyst at TechnoMetrica in the press release. He points out that “140 million people amounts to just under two and a half times the population of Great Britain. That’s a lot of people.”
However, while consumer awareness levels are important, acceptance levels may be much more so. According to Kambanis “our findings suggest that the Walkman Phone is poorly positioned for a head-to-head match up against Apple’s iPod or Dell’s Digital Jukebox.”
MacDailyNews Take: LOL, that dude said “Dell Digital Jukebox!” All three Dell DJ owners must not have heard of the Walkman Phone.
Kambanis continues in the press release, “While the generic concept generally does well among consumers and those who crave convenience, it has a weak showing among the consumer groups that propelled Apple’s iPod to superstardom.”
Just who are those key consumer groups? According to the report, young people, those with a college education as well as those with relatively high household incomes.
“Without the support of these key consumer groups, Sony’s Walkman Phone may be in trouble.”
In fact, TechnoMetrica reports that it found surprising divergence in consumer preferences when it comes to the Walkman Phone and the iPod. According to Kambanis, “at this stage in the game, the iPod generation — and that term encompasses more than age — appears to be shunning the Walkman Phone, even at the conceptual stage.”
Moreover, Apple is just getting started. According to another finding from the report, more than 32 million adult Americans are planning to purchase an iPod within the next 12 months. Now that’s a lot of iPods.
This study surveyed a random sample of 1,002 adult American consumers. The report examines ownership rates, demand for portable digital music players, online music service subscriptions, trends in PC usage for downloading music, downloading vs. buying music CDs, music piracy, consumer familiarity with Sony’s Walkman Phone, its market viability and how it stacks up against Apple’s iPod. Beyond that, it also looks at the overarching modern music experience and its impact on the music radio industry.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Needham & Co: Apple ‘iPod Halo Effect’ fueling Mac purchases; predict 43 million iPod sales in 2006 – July 18, 2005
Apple smashes street with record revenue, earnings; shipped 6.155 million iPods – July 13, 2005
sorry, just had to try to be the first post… love the roll that Apple is on.
United States — Population: 295,734,134
According to a recently released study (..), more than 140 million adult Americans have not heard of it (Walkman Phone).
So 155,734,134 people know about the Walkman Phone?
This study surveyed a random sample of 1,002 adult American consumers.
There is often an odd site to statistics, but on this one I am very confused!
At least the new of 32 million iPods potentially to be sold is nice, but how reliable is that number?!
Kool: The survey does say adult americans and the population number will include kids (non-adults).
MacDailyNews Take: LOL, that dude said “Dell Digital Jukebox!”
…what’s a Dell Digital Jukebox?
Make that 32,000,001!
Why not just say xx% doesn’t know about Walkman phone, that would be much more informative…
aapl dude-how do you know you weren’t counted already? i have a hard time with the statistics presented in this article. 32 million is a nice number though.
With that low of sample rate, the study is pretty worthless. Trying to extrapolate that data to the entire population of the United States seems pretty daunting. Only politicians.. well never mind.
MDN word: They should have “known” this was bogus.
Sony Walkman Phone
.. catchy..
certainly an improvement on it’s original name…
Sony Backup Plan IPD-KLR200
Regarding Kool’s question about how accurate the numbers are: the margin of error should be about 3.5 million.
73.95% of statistics are made up on the spot.
(c’mon, if I didn’t say it, someone else would have)
I certainly will be in the market for a new iPod. I’m hoping to get my mitts on a 60 gigger if the price drops a bit. I already own a 15 gig 3G but have run out of space. The photo storage function and color screen would be useful.
It makes perfect sense– what’s the only media player you ever see consistent advertising for, and the only media player that you ever see television commercials for (cool commercials at that)? If I have to tell you the answer you shouldn’t be here.
It’s surprising, really, considering the big media giant that Sony is, but whatever this Walkman Phone thing is, I have yet to see any marketing for it. Advertising = recognition. D’uhhr.
Now is the time for Steve to start making devices of all sorts that use Apple software and technology, regarless of whether he thinks that the people really want them. Want a convergence device: put iTunes on phones, pdas, etc. The market seems to be splintering among people who want different types of convergence, and it seems that each segment is going to be big enough to make the diverse models fiscally possible. That way, all of the other devices will either sit on shelves or remain conceptual.
Go for it Steve!
Though I’ll just stick with my shiney 60GB iPod photo, thank you very much.