Mobile phone sales in China are forecast to reach 150 million
units in 2007, up 23.1 percent year-on-year, CCID Consulting said
on Wednesday.
The sales volume, however, was expected to drop 0.3 percent to
166.1 billion yuan (22.66 billion US dollars) because more low-end
mobile phones were sold during the period.
The average price of a mobile in China dropped from 1,408 yuan
in 2006 to 1,142 yuan this year. In addition, more than 20 percent
of mobiles sold were less than 500 yuan, the CCID said.
Li Xuefang, a CCID consultant, cited increased demand for
tailored phones by mobile operators and rising low-end mobile users
in rural areas as the main reasons for the price drop.
Promotions by domestic manufacturers of mid- and low-end mobiles
also brought down the general selling price, she added.
In the third quarter of 2007, Chinese brand mobiles accounted
for 33.4 percent market share, up from 31.1 percent in the second
quarter.
CCID also predicted mobile sales, driven by rising low-end
mobile users and the forthcoming launch of the third generation
mobile networks, would exceed 200 million units in 2009.
Beijing-based CCID Consulting was the first domestic consulting
firm listed in the Growth Enterprise Market of the Hong Kong Stock
Exchange. It was directly affiliated to the China Center for
Information Industry Development (CCID Group).
(Xinhua News Agency December 27, 2007)
