Analyst: Americans Want Big Phones—Not Folding Phones
Americans like their phones big, but they aren't sold on the value of foldables, according to the latest report from Wave7 Research, which surveys retail store staff to get a picture of who's buying what in American mobile phones today.
In its April report, Wave7 said shoppers are going big. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is the top seller among Samsung phones at postpaid carriers, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max came in top among iPhones at Verizon and AT&T. The Pro Max's size and telephoto capabilities are major plusses for the top-of-the-line model, Wave7 says.
Small phones, meanwhile, fall far behind. The iPhone 13 mini is the worst-selling iPhone 13 model at all carriers, the report says, and 56% of reps are saying demand for the 2022 iPhone SE is weaker than it was for the 2020 model of the low-cost phone.
Americans aren't paying $1,000 or more up front for these phones—they're on long-term payment plans. At prepaid, where folks pay up front, the story is very different. The low-cost Samsung Galaxy A13, Galaxy A32 and the 2021 Moto G Stylus 5G rule at Boost, Cricket and Metro, the report says.
That's been the state of the US phone market for years. At postpaid, people are happy to pay $1,000 or more over two or three years for their phone. At prepaid, it's $350 or less. This trend has knocked out any real potential for popular global midrange-priced phones in the US, something I call the "unbuying valley."
A group of new midrangers aims to challenge that: the $449/$499 Google Pixel 6a, the $449 Samsung Galaxy A53, and the $499 Moto G Stylus 5G (2022), for example. We'll see in a few months if they get any traction.
Big screens may be popular, but the even bigger screens of foldable phones aren't compelling buyers, Wave7 said. In a
Read more on pcmag.com
