Wirefly Releases the Five Biggest Cell Phone Trends of 2005 and Outlines Trend Predictions for 2006
20 January 2006 - 2:12AM
Business Wire
Wirefly (www.wirefly.com), an online leader in one-stop comparison
shopping for cell phones and wireless phone plans, today released a
list of the five trends that had the biggest impact on cell phone
sales in 2005 and trend predictions for 2006. "The hottest thing in
cell phones last year was, without a doubt, the popularity of the
Motorola RAZR. Thin was definitely in -- the RAZR was Wirefly's #1
best seller by a bigger margin than held by any phone previously,"
said Brian Westrick, President of Wirefly. In 2005, the five most
popular trends driving cell phone purchases at Wirefly.com were:
-0- *T 1. Motorola RAZR: This ultra-thin phone -- available from
Cingular, T-Mobile, Alltel and now Verizon Wireless -- struck the
right chord with consumers who wanted their phones to make a
statement. The Motorola RAZR continues to be a high-tech status
symbol. 2. Smartphones: Phones that include operating systems and
popular software applications made mobile computing easier and more
convenient for business professionals, who no longer needed to
carry around a full-featured laptop to be productive. 3. 3G
technology: The arrival of a variety of third-generation phones
boasting high-speed data downloads is raising the expectation
today's consumers have of wireless handsets. Not just for talking,
many cell phones are portable entertainment centers that include
multimedia messaging, music downloads, mobile TV, gaming, and much
more. 4. Keyboard phones: With data messaging like email and SMS
becoming a more significant part of cell phone use, many consumers
flocked toward the convenience of QWERTY keyboards integrated into
their mobile devices. T-Mobile's Sidekick popularized the QWERTY
keyboard phone among younger consumers as well. 5. Camcorder/ video
phones: Manufacturers took the popular camera phone concept and
expanded it to include not only megapixel resolution, but also
video capture, which allowed users to take and send video clips to
friends and family. Video phones were affordable enough to
penetrate the mainstream very quickly. *T Wirefly offers a more
complete inventory of cell phone devices and a broader selection of
carrier rate plans than traditional retail stores are able to
offer. This gives customers a real choice in selecting the phone
and plan that is best for them. "As the largest online activations
agent for all major carriers, Wirefly has a unique view of the
trends driving our industry, and we predict continued popularity of
the things that made 2005 a remarkable year. But ours is a very
dynamic market and this coming year is going to see a new set of
trends driving people to switch or upgrade their cell phones and
plans," said Wirefly's Westrick. Wirefly predicts big trends for
2006 are going to include: -0- *T 1. Music and mobile TV phones; 2.
A bigger selection of smartphones with more robust operating
systems; 3. Phones designed for children; 4. Expanded GPS services;
and, 5. Increased comfort ordering services online and expansion of
market share by authorized online agents such as Wirefly. *T To
view today's best-selling cell phone models, visit Wirefly at
http://www.wirefly.com. About Wirefly Launched in 2003, Wirefly
(www.wirefly.com) is an online leader in one-stop comparison
shopping for cell phones, wireless service plans and wireless
accessories. Owned and operated by InPhonic (NASDAQ:INPC), Wirefly
is an authorized dealer for every major cellular carrier, including
Cingular Wireless, Nextel, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and Sprint
PCS. Wirefly also offers discounts and services not available in
retail wireless stores, including real-time online order status and
tracking, and the guaranteed lowest price - online or anywhere else
-- on cell phone devices from Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, LG,
BlackBerry and many other cell phone handset manufacturers. In
2005, Keynote Systems awarded Wirefly "Best in Overall Customer
Experience" for wireless providers. According to Forbes magazine's
"Best of the Web" (2004), "(Wirefly) is probably the best
all-around number portability portal available." For more
information on Wirefly, its cellular products and its services,
visit www.wirefly.com or the InPhonic Corporate Web site at
www.inphonic.com. INPCG. "Safe Harbor" Statement - Under the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, this press
release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks
and uncertainties. Important factors, which could cause actual
operating results to differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements, are detailed in filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission made from time to time by the
Company. This press release and statements are current as of the
date of the individual announcements and the Company undertakes no
obligation to publicly release any revisions to any forward-looking
statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date thereof
or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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