Smartphones were followed by laptop computers and desktop computers in rankings of U.S. consumers' average intent to purchase in 2011. Regular mobile phones ranked fourth, followed by e-book readers in the fifth position, and tablet computers ranking sixth.
The findings were based on a survey of 1,557 U.S. mobile users in December. Gartner advised wireless operators not to ignore the middle and lower tiers of smartphones, which will be a source of growth in 2011.
"Communication service providers should expand tiered data pricing to make open OS devices more affordable to the mass market. Introductory limited data plans of $10 to $15 a month will expand the market greatly for these devices, and in many cases, consumers will upgrade to higher-priced data plans over time once they get hooked on these services," said Hugues de la Vergne, principal research analyst at Gartner.