Smartphones vs. Digital Cameras - has the tipping point been reached?

LOS ALTOS, Calif., July 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Today's photography ecosystem is a complex one involving digital cameras, smartphones, tablets, and computers. Photo-taking consumers make pragmatic decisions about which of their devices to best use for specific tasks – such as taking photos, editing photos, sharing photos, or ordering photo products – under specific conditions. As these choices evolve, they change the "balance of power" between devices, with dramatic economic consequences for the market actors.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130724/MN52733)  

To benchmark the current state of that "balance" Suite 48 Analytics, the leading research and analysis firm for the mobile photography market, surveyed 1,000 North American consumers to find out which devices today's photo-taking consumers now use for specific photo tasks, as well as how and why their photo-focused use of digital cameras, smartphones, tablets and computers has changed over the last six months.

The study found that, for the first time since Suite 48 Analytics started tracking the market, the majority of today's photo-taking smartphone customers – those who've taken at least 10 photos in the last three months – now use only their smartphone to take photos.

Specifically, 58% of these customers take photos exclusively with their smartphone, compared to just 37% of the respondents who did so in a study conducted by Suite 48 Analytics just 18 months ago, a dramatic increase of 57%. 33% of the respondents use both their smartphone and their digital camera, and 5% regularly take photos with their tablet as well as their smartphone and digital camera.

According to Hans Hartman, president of Suite 48 Analytics and lead author of the report, "With smartphone market penetration still growing and camera optics and photo apps still improving, smartphones are rapidly becoming the most used device for many photo tasks, including taking photos. But today's active photo-taker doesn't use their smartphone at any cost. For instance, many prefer to take photos with their digital camera at 'high volume' occasions or to edit their photos on a computer rather than doing this on a smartphone."

"The Multi-device Photo World – An Ecosystem in Flux" report consists of 76 pages with 62 graphs and 4 tables. A premium version of the report includes a 46-page addendum with verbatim answers to all open questions.

The report addresses the following questions:

Using Devices for Taking Photos:

• Which among their various devices do today's consumers use most for photo-taking?
• What type of digital camera do they use most often?
• What type of smartphone do they use most often?
• What type of tablet do they use most often?

Taking Photos:

• How many photos do they take per month with each of their devices?
• Compared to six months ago, do they now take fewer or more photos with each of their devices?
• If so, why are they taking "way more" or "way fewer" photos with each of their devices (open answer analysis)?

Viewing Photos Over Time (transient vs. permanent photos):

• What percentage of their photos taken on each of these devices will they most likely also view in the future vs. only view right after taking the photo?

Editing Photos:

• What percentage of the photos that they're planning to keep or share do they also edit?
• Which device do they use most for editing their photos?
• Compared to six months ago, do they now edit fewer or more photos with each of their devices?
• If so, why are they editing "way more" or "way fewer" photos with each of their devices (open answer analysis)?

Sharing Photos:

• What percentage of photos taken with each of their devices in the last 30 days have they shared with others directly from that device?
• Compared to six months ago, do they now share fewer or more photos directly from each of their devices?
• If so, why are they sharing "way more" or "way fewer" photos directly from each of their devices (open answer analysis)?

Ordering Photo Products:

• Have they ordered any photo products in the last 180 days? (such as photo prints, photo post cards, personalized mugs, photo books, etc.)
• Have they ordered any photo products in the last 180 days directly from each of their devices?
• Compared to six months ago, do they now order fewer or more photo products from each of their devices?
• If so, why are they ordering "way more" or "way fewer" photo products from each of their devices (open answer analysis)?
• What percentage of the photo products that they ordered directly on each of their devices included photos that others shared with them?
• What types of photo products have they ordered in the last 180 days on each of their devices?

Improving Photo Apps:

• Which of the main photo app categories would they most like to see improved?
• Why would they like to see this photo app category improved (open answer analysis)?

The report also analyzes these questions for statistical significant differences between the respondents' demographic characteristics (gender, age and parenthood).

About Suite 48 Analytics

Suite 48 Analytics, the leading research and analysis firm for the mobile photography market, conducts app market analysis and research among smartphone and tablet users.

Reports include the Dispersed Photo Challenge Study, the Photo Product Purchasing Survey among Mobile Photo App Users, the Photo/Video Apps Market Analysis January Report, the 6Sight Social Imaging Survey, as well as several free white papers available for download at www.suite48A.com.

For more information: contact@suite48A.com.

Media Contact:Hans Hartman, Suite 48 Analytics, 3039453836, hans@suite48A.com

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SOURCE Suite 48 Analytics