In something I have preached for over a year, there is finally a study that says the high prices of mobile content is actually hurting consumer adoption. Data prices for mobile content like phone wallpapers, ringtones and downloadable music selections is still way too high. For some reasons, the carriers think they'll recoup their investments with higher content prices. Wrong.A new IDC report says that steep prices are keeping U.S. mobile consumers from buying wireless entertainment offerings, as a recent study found that 47% of the coveted 18- to 24-year-old market complained that mobile data services are "too expensive." In addition, almost 75% of the study's respondents didn't use any non-messaging data services during the third quarter of this year. Ouch!
Time to lower all content pricing if you want mass adoption, carriers. Oh -- make the content easy to find as well.
1. Umm... Yeah 2.99 for a crappy ringtone? Who pays that? I mean if you can buy the whole song on iTunes(or similar) for $1 and dump it on your phone for free, who needs the carrier's low quality 20 second ringtone? Not to mention if you already own the CD. Why pay twice? And wallpaper? I find it amazing that these goofy Jamster type companies exist. But, then again they are sneaky with the fine print about their $25 a month charges to your cell account.
Posted at 2:28PM on Dec 12th 2006 by Tom