Smartphones most returned holiday gift, iPhones / BlackBerrys notwithstanding
Though we can't say we're entirely shocked -- after all, it's not like some other handset will really satisfy when you've had your eye on that one -- a recent survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation found that smartphones were the number one returned gadget this holiday season. Granted, the study was one of online nature, and neither Apple's iPhone nor any of RIM's BlackBerrys were included (um, why not?), but we digress. Reportedly, more than one-fifth (21-percent, to be precise) of smartphone recipients surveyed said they hustled back to the store shortly after gift giving was over and promptly returned it, and comically enough, the "inability to understand the product setup process was cited as the primary reason" that consumers did so. 'Tis a shame, really. [Warning: PDF read link][Via textually, image courtesy of LawyersAndSettlements]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JerryA @ Jan 29th 2008 2:07PM
This is where Apple really found their market. I don't own an iPhone nor do I really want one. Still, there is a huge market out there for people who don't want a smartphone, but want the basic consumer features of a simple one in a pretty phone. I personally want the features and customization you get with a real smartphone and as such I won't be buying an iPhone anytime soon. My current phone does everything the iPhone does with the exception of multitouch and I paid $100 less for it before the iPhone even came out. In addition it does a lot more like GPS. That's all great for me but for those who didn't want to deal with all that and just want pretty, easy, simple, and more featured than their old flip phone, the iPhone really works well.
snowenloe @ Jan 29th 2008 2:29PM
I owned an iPhone at one point, it wasnt enough of a smartphone for me, but I see what you are saying. The iPhone got me addicted to having all of my contact info on my device, like address, b-day, etc. I had the Samsung i-760 (Windows Mobile was too buggy and slow) and now own a Blackberry. I will never go back to a "dumbphone" again. Let the masses return their Smartphones, more for me!
JerryA @ Jan 29th 2008 2:39PM
I totally agree. I have a PocketPC and before that I had a Palm. I am accustomed to a smartphone as well. I need my 3G data, my keyboard, my GPS, my addons. I've gotten so used to it that I look to it frequently when I'm out and need to find something out. Never lost or lacking for an answer anymore.
Randy @ Jan 29th 2008 2:43PM
@JerryA
And what phone would that be? Care to share?
WRT the iPhone, I agree w/ you, I don't want a phone that I can't customize. Which puts me in a strange demographic because at&t, vzw, et al, don't like consumer oriented smart phones (like the N-series Nokias for example,) they'd rather I shell out for a business oriented device and service plan. HTC has some nice devices, but they don't care about you after you've bought one. which brings me to Plam, who like HTC, doesn't care and they're on their way out.
JerryA @ Jan 29th 2008 2:48PM
@Randy: it's one of those HTC phones you mention. I agree that lately their support has been pretty shite for those with directdraw issues but thanks to places like xdc and ppcgeeks I've gotten mine to behave like the true all-in-one it should be. Obviously your mileage may vary. I'm just pointing out how using a smartphone will spoil you. Not trying to extol the virtues of one brand over another.
Bill @ Jan 29th 2008 2:46PM
I don't know how good this survey really was, but I can imagine there's a lot of truth behind it, particularly for Windows phones. I own one, and I consider myself a major tecchie, and I need all the flexibility of Windows Mobile, but DAMN that OS is a pain in the ass sometimes. I can imagine a whole lot of people saying the hell with it.
MS has some serious work to do before these phones can really enter the mainstream.
JerryA @ Jan 29th 2008 2:51PM
What I've noticed is that the OS itself is fine, but once I started looking into all the things it could do with some tweaking, I got into the hard parts (ie, tweaking it to do those extra things). I think a lot of the reason Apple stuck to some main features and didn't add others is because they wanted a device anyone could use out of the box with little effort. That same simplicity that annoys some people like me who love to tweak and customize is exactly what other people crave and the only thing they will tolerate. Competition is good because more markets are served.
Bill @ Jan 29th 2008 2:56PM
That, and the fact that Microsoft likes to tout the large number of 3rd party apps available for their phone OS, yet if you go and install even a small fraction of those, the reliability of the phone drops like a rock.
Here @ Jan 29th 2008 2:54PM
No phone is perfect for everyone's usage. People expect paying for something that expensive, as far a phone goes, it should do everything, perfectly, and aren't willing to put in the second effort to get it to be faster, cleaner, and nearly perfect for their individual usage. Makes sense, don't it ;)
Mark @ Jan 29th 2008 2:57PM
Ya, I can definately see the hardness factor and really to get the most out of a smartphone(unless you're just using it for business) you need to have some technical knowledge or know someone who does so you or they can install all the nifty add-ons and stuff.(I own a touch and the first thing I did when I got it was to go onto xda and get a new rom to flash onto it.) If you know how to do those things or know someone who does, it makes it the best phone ever, if not you're better off with an iphone... unless you want to customize it at all in which case I guess a normal flip phone?
cswallow01 @ Jan 29th 2008 3:12PM
It's article's like these, that kinda burn me up....
I had a Zaurus, have a Tungsten E2, HTC 8525 and a iPod Touch... I can't believe that people would return any Smartphone device, just because they can't set it up. Some things God just should've built innately into people and technology is one of em.
No one should ever return a device because it's too hard!
If it doesn't have a huge application catalog or Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR/Wifi or if it's RIM instead of Palm or Linux or Symbian, I can understand... But just because they're too lazy to read the book, should never be a return policy excuse!
fyreblazer @ Jan 29th 2008 5:05PM
Exactly, my fiance tries to use my Tilt and always claims it's too hard. Some people just really don't have the patience for whatever reason. Same reason a lot of older people (50 yr+) vehemently hate computers as a whole and young people (16 & under) love iphones & sidekicks.
eddiebutler9 @ Jan 29th 2008 4:34PM
Um... is that Bobby Brown?
Joe Commisso @ Jan 29th 2008 5:21PM
I think a lot of this has to do with people receiving smartphones who aren't those type of users, I work at a Radioshack and there is still a large majority of people in the US that don't want or have the need for anything more than your standard flip phone.
timatl @ Jan 29th 2008 10:04PM
The iphone is more of a fashion statement than a smart phone. I must have my keypad. I will be a blackberry user for a while. The google phone may be a possiblity. Time shall tell.
Matt @ Jan 29th 2008 4:34PM
I like when non-iphone users call the iphone a fashion statement.
aoeu00 @ Jan 29th 2008 5:22PM
I don't have an iPhone myself.. but have a few friends who do own the iPhone. At least a couple of them have admittedly stated it's more of a toy than anything besides actually being used as a "phone".
rpa @ Jan 29th 2008 11:35PM
"Technology" when it works well, should be like magic and accessible to first time users. The iPhone, like the iPod before it, redefined an entire class of products (because of this magic) and this is what the mainstream consumer wants. The tech users who frequent blogs like this are in the minority.
PEZ @ Jan 30th 2008 7:20AM
Most of the US phone market is comprised of people who want a simple phone to make calls, and perhaps text and take a picture.
Its also comprised of people who would rather have the money.
rami @ Jan 30th 2008 12:37PM
I had my iphone for 3 weeks (bought it at luanch) then sold it and made $100 on it (then another $100 when apple dropped the price). Does that count as a return?
But thats pretty lame that Iphones and Blackberrys weren't in the report.
mark @ Feb 2nd 2008 11:38AM
I have a blackberry 8310 and a tilt and I am in cloud nine when it comes to custom tweaks and apps. Their is no way I could ever go back to a dumb phone again.