Research says Santa’s sack is set to ring this Christmas

~ New research from online mobile retailer mPhone suggests teenagers and young people want phones for Christmas ~

Sales of mobile phones are looking positive in the run up to Christmas this year, according to a survey conducted by NEMS market research on behalf of online mobile phone retailer mPhone.co.uk. A whopping 75.9% of 16-24 year olds claimed that mobile phones make good Christmas presents, while over 56% of the overall population concurred. The figures were also high among parents with one or two children, suggesting that Santa’s sack could be ringing as he climbs down the chimney this year.

The research shows that Christmas is perceived to be the best time of year to give a mobile phone as gift, with 56% of the overall population agreeing. The festive season is followed by birthdays (55%), Mother’s Day or Father’s Day (27%) and Valentines Day (18%). Intriguingly, although only 18% of people feel that a phone is a good gift for a partner on Valentine’s Day, 52% think they are a good gift for a partner at any time of year. This suggests that the mobile phone is firmly ensconced in the most popular presents of the year along side other gifts such as the latest games console, iPods and digital radios.

“Christmas really is a time for family,” explained Ali Mahmoud, managing director of mPhone. “I believe that’s why phones are such seasonable gifts – the festive period is the one time above all others when people want to be with their loved ones. I think that when you give someone a phone you are really saying stay in touch,” he continued.

”I think there’s another serious message here too. The right phone can be a very powerful ally for a parent. Certainly, children and teenagers will spend a few pounds sending texts to their friends, but they will also be safer on the streets over Christmas and New Year.

“Our most popular phones are proving to be the Nokia 1110, Samsung D900, Nokia 6230i and Sony Ericsson K800i at the moment. In many ways these represent a cross section of the market. The Nokia 1110 is a simple talk and text phone, ideal for younger teenagers, while the Sony Ericsson K800i is a perfect gadget lovers phones.”

The research on which this survey is based involved telephone interviews with a representative sample of 1000 UK adults and was broken down by sex, marital status, employment status, income earning status, number of children in household, socio economic group ISBA (Incorporated Society of British Advertisers) region, TV region and age. A full copy of this research is available on request.

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For further information contact: Ali Mahmoud,
mPhone Ltd, 191-192 Temple Chambers, London, EC4Y 0DB
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7583 6859
Fax: +44 (0) 870 7500 755
e-mail: ali@mphone.co.uk
www: http://www.mphone.co.uk/

Press enquiries: Richard Stone
Stone Junction, 24A Waldram Park Road,
Forest Hill, London, SE23 2PN
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8699 7743
Fax: +44 (0) 20 8699 7743
e-mail: richards@stonejunction.co.uk
www: http://www.stonejunction.co.uk/

About mPhone Ltd: mPhone is a service led online mobile phone retailer, specialising in SIM free mobile phones but also providing contract phones, rental phones, insurance, ring tones and accessories. Brands include LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Siemens, Sony Ericson and Panasonic.

Ref: MPH020