Ipsos Insight released research today which suggests that Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation could become the next "breakout" cell phone feature. As part of a wider survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults on technology and communications trends, nearly 9 in 10 (86 percent ) of 171 users of mobile devices that offer visual display screens say that having a GPS navigation feature would be either "very important" or "nice to have" on the next handset they purchase. The response to GPS followed closely behind email, text messaging, and camera features, also considered utilitarian features, and greatly exceeded responses of demand for cell phone capabilities for watching TV (42 percent), downloading video (38 percent), and watching movies (33 percent).
Todd Board, Senior Vice President of the Ipsos Insight, said: "The emergence of GPS as a benefit of next-generation mobile devices has been largely overlooked as marketers have been focusing on entertainment-based services. Looking at the previous success of functional capabilities like email and Internet access on mobile devices, GPS is an obvious choice."
One potential GPS application, Board said, could be designed for anxious, security-minded parents. "We're seeing more focus on adaptations of cell phones specifically for the pre-teen market, with various �one-button' contact and security features. Certainly GPS could play well there," he noted.