• by Aaron Baar , April 22, 2012

A full quarter of consumers intend to purchase (or have already purchased) a smartphone during the first half of this year, once again proving the popularity of the mobile device. 

According to ABI research, the 25% of consumers who showed a purchase intent for a smartphone is equal to the number of people who intend to buy HDTVs, and far exceeds the number of people who intend to buy tablets (18%). (Indeed, more people intend to buy Blu-ray players (16%) and video game consoles (17%) than tablets, according to the firm.) 

The main factor in the continued popularity of HDTVs (as well as Blu-ray players and video game consoles) is the increasing presence of built-in Internet connectivity. The television is still the dominant entertainment center for the American family and Internet connectivity opens up the flexibility of the Internet to the television screen. 

“Consumer electronics devices like TVs, Blu-ray players, and game consoles remain at the heart of the digital living room,” said ABI senior analyst Michael Inouye, in a statement. 

“Respondents, for instance, continue to favor connected CE devices for viewing Internet video content on the main screen over alternatives like smartphones or tablets. While connecting a mobile device to the TV screen or wirelessly mirroring the screen may be foreign to many consumers, this practice will occur more frequently as the market and consumer behavior evolves, but given the portable nature of these devices and social nature of TV viewing, fixed devices will continue to have a strong role to play in the digital living room.”