Data released by GFK, a market research company, show that compared with the first half of 2014, the number of flat-panel TV sets and smart phones sold in the corresponding period this year have been less.
By half year (HY) 2014, a total of 547,000 flat-panel TV sets had been sold across Nigeria. In 2015, within the corresponding period, only 462,000 were sold. On the other hand, while 3.23 million smart phones were sold in the first half of 2014, 3.41 million were sold this year.
Speaking on the development, Kenneth Doghudje, managing director of the company, says the flat-panel TV market in Nigeria is currently experiencing declining sales volumes when compared with the same period last year, and growth in smart phone sales is marginal, around 6 percent. The elections conducted in the second quarter of 2015 were a major determining factor of the market’s performance.
Between seven and eight out of every 10 smart phones sold so far had an Android Operating System. This is expected because Android is the most prevalent operating system, with several manufacturers churning out models while the Blackberry and Windows Phone operating systems are limited to Blackberry handsets and Nokia/Microsoft devices, respectively.
“We expect to see more Android operated handsets with large screen sizes to continue to drive the market as these smart phones meet the yearnings and aspirations of most smart phone consumers in Nigeria. We are now witnessing more people carrying two smart phones, compared to one smart phone and one mobile phone in the recent past,” says Doghudje.
On the other hand, in the flat-panel TV market, sales are predominantly driven by three screen sizes – 32, 24 and 42/43. These screen sizes account for over seven out of every 10 flat-panel TV sold in the market. The 32-inch category has the highest demand. Lower prices are thus an important factor in determining effective demand.
“We expect to see the market growth for smart phone that are at least 4 inches and above continue to grow in the years ahead. Watching videos, browsing the internet and gaming are some of the activities people are increasingly using their phones for, and these require bigger screen real estate,” a statement from GfK indicates.
