IDC: ''Cameraphones don't replace digital cameras''

A new study from IDC refutes the myth that camera phones will replace digital cameras. This myth is suspect at best, especially since resolutions in camera phones have remained somewhat constant and digital camera pricing has continued to decline. According to IDC's Mobile Imaging Survey, the camera phone is more of a gateway product in the U.S., and creates, rather than destroys digital camera users.

The printing of images captured on camera phones is also on the decline, the IDC survey reveals. Instead of one image being printed on average per month like in 2004, one image is being printed every three months in 2005.

"Home is still the dominant place to print, yet the anemic number of prints supports IDC's theory that end users have more reliable expectations regarding mobile imaging than vendors themselves," said Chris Chute, senior analyst, Worldwide Digital Imaging Solutions and Services.

Other key findings of IDC's Mobile Imaging Survey include the following:

The bulk of camera phone owner respondents are between the ages of 25 and 44.

The top imaging activities are archiving images for the long-term and sharing through email.

Over 30% of camera phone owners plan to purchase a digital camera because they were introduced to digital imaging through a camera phone.