Three Electronics Products of 2008 Still Worth Sourcing
by Christina Lee on February 26th, 2009
If any industry can prove today that innovation sells, it is the electronics trade. After all, it made a slew of new devices become necessities in 2008, and now it is promising more renovations for 2009. But as consumers continue to spend cautiously, experts are debating a great deal over whether the past year’s best-sellers are still worth sourcing:
The LCD Monitor
For both the consumer and the manufacturer of 2008, the LCD monitor became a cost-efficient solution for both home computing and even entertainment needs. And while manufacturers are still focusing on creating for the home user, they could very well render the higher-quality, smaller-sized monitors obsolete.
“If you want an all-purpose 19-inch monitor with good color reproduction and large viewing angles for reasonable money, you won’t find one,” according to X-bit Labs, in its winter buyer’s guide. “There are no such monitors anymore.”
As for other reviewers, they can still see why Samsung stands as the market leader, controlling 15.5 percent of the market. Its SyncMaster 2053BW, for example, proved to be a favorite among both professional and home users, according to ConsumerSearch.
Is it still worth sourcing?: Yes.
The Smartphone
The emergence of the iPhone only marked the beginning of mainstream smartphone use. Now Microsoft and Nokia are even focusing on their new applications stores, as they announced at this year’s GSMA Mobile World Congress.
But U.S. consumers may not be as excited as the industry to see the latest developments. An NPD Group study conducted last month showed that 45 percent of cell phone users only used their devices to make calls, while 20 percent used them as an all-in-one multimedia device.
“Sure, smartphones are a bright spot in these dim economic times … But we can’t help but be a little skeptical that the offerings aren’t outgrowing [the] market,” said Rita Chang of Advertising Age.
In sum, though anything besides the BlackBerry and the iPhone may take some time to catch on, perhaps consumers are just waiting for a device that is less daunting and more affordable.
Is it still worth sourcing?: Yes – but choose carefully.
The Netbook
As Ars Technica has noticed, the netbook had already been 14 years in the making before the Asus Eee PC701 surged its popularity in late 2007.
But the biggest reason why the netbook took off is perhaps rather simple: it finally became affordable. The most noteworthy of the 1990s – the Psions 5 and 7, in addition to Toshiba’s Libretto – costs between $1,000 and $2,000. Meanwhile the Asus Eee PC 1000HE, armed with a 160GB hard drive and a 9.5 hour battery life, is priced at $374.
In addition, buyers can look forward to having a wider selection to choose from, as more manufacturers than before work to create the latest. Experts predict that the most popular improvements will be larger screens, better specifications, and integrated 3G, as reported by Business Week.
Is it still worth sourcing?: Yes.
Retailers: what do you think will come of these products? Do you think that 2009 will be another big year for them?