Retailer says rise is down to customers delaying getting new phones to wait for major handset launch announcements expected this autumn
Carphone Warehouse experienced a 26.5 per cent rise in SIM-only contract sales during the first six months of the year compared with the same period in 2011.
The retailer said that customers delaying the purchase of a new handset in order to wat for major handset launch announcements expected this autumn was the reason for the rise.
Carphone Warehouse chief commercial officer Graham Stapleton (pictured) said that with the many big handset launches expected to announced in the coming weeks, this year could be a defining moment for the smartphone market.
“There are a number of significant handset announcements expected within the next few months and we think our customers are anticipating these. This is clearly a growing trend as many customers are opting for SIM-only deals in order to save money whilst waiting for the handset of their choice to come to market,” he said.
“As the only retailer in the UK to offer smartphones across all the networks, we’re expecting a flurry of long term contracts to be taken out in the coming months once the new handsets are made available.
“It’s already been a very exciting year for the mobile phone industry, the launch of the record breaking Samsung Galaxy SIII in May was a particular highlight but there are many more big launches still to come; other major products are expected before the end of the year. 2012 could define the smartphone market for years to come.”
