MP3 Players Most Wanted by Teens This Holiday Season

Portable Music Players, Video Game Consoles and PCs Top the List of Most Wanted Gifts

ARLINGTON, VA – According to a study released today by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), portable MP3 players rank as the most wanted gift among teens this holiday season. Seventeen percent of teenagers in the study selected the device as a desired gift, a 9 percent increase over 2003. Video game consoles, computers, portable gaming devices and cell phones rounded out the top five on teens’ technology wish lists.

“With portable music players in high demand and the next generation of video game consoles set to launch, teens are clear about what they want this holiday season,” said Sean Wargo, CEA’s director of industry analysis.

Teens also named digital cameras, game peripherals and portable CD players as potential gift items. Beyond consumer electronics products, the study results showed that teens remain consistently interested in clothes, CDs and video game titles as gifts they wish to receive.

“CDs in particular stand out as a reminder of the remaining importance of the shiny disk format as the preferred medium for music, despite the strong growth of online music services and teens’ predilection for MP3,” said Wargo. “While many teens continue to buy tracks online, it’s clear that they also continue to rely on CDs to fill their hungry portable devices and music appetites.”

MP3 players also top the list of gifts teens expect to give this holiday season. Nearly 60 percent of teens who will buy at least one consumer electronics item reported that they may choose an MP3 player as a gift. According to the survey, nearly half of teens (47 percent) plan to pay for all or most of the gifts they plan to give this season with their own money, which may come as a welcome surprise for parents. Older teens, who are more likely to have part-time employment, show higher self-funding. In addition, the number of teens who report that they’ll purchase gifts online is 43 percent, up from 40 percent in 2003.

CEA’s 2nd Annual Youth Holiday Purchase patterns survey was administered via telephone interview to a random national sample of 502 U.S. teens 12 to 17 years of age between October 20 and 23, 2005. It was designed and formulated by CEA Market Research, the most comprehensive source of sales data, forecasts, consumer research and historical trends for the consumer electronics industry. The complete study is available free to CEA member companies. Non-members may purchase the study for $499 at http://www.ce.org/CEAStore.

About CEA:
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology industry through technology policy, events, research, promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA represents more than 2,000 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of audio, video, mobile electronics, wireless and landline communications, information technology, home networking, multimedia and accessory products, as well as related services that are sold through consumer channels. Combined, CEA’s members account for more than $122 billion in annual sales. CEA’s resources are available online at http://www.CE.org, the definitive source for information about the consumer electronics industry.

CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES – Defining Tomorrow’s Technology. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.