Tag: north-america

  • VIZIO HDTV Sales Boosted By Economic Downturn


    US TV-maker VIZIO remains the largest shipper of LCD HDTVs in North America – with an increased market share as consumers turn to value products.

    Shipments have increased 21.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2009, which is a 69 per cent increase year over year (YOY), according to iSuppli.

    VIZIO HDTVs are primarily merchandised through retail partners, such as Costco Wholesale, WalMart, Sam’s Club and Target stores.

    VIZIO also experienced quarter over quarter growth with a 46 per cent increase in Full HD 120Hz sets and 19 percent increase in 42" and above size TVs.

    LCD TV unit shipments grew 21 per cent from 1,116,428 in the final quarter of 2008 to 1,351,860 in first quarter 2009.

    When plasma HDTVs were added to the results, VIZIO’s shipping totals came to 1,400,207 TVs for the quarter and will also rank No.1 in US sales of total flat panel HDTVs.

    Riddhi Patel, principal analyst, television systems, for iSuppli, said that due to its aggressive pricing, VIZIO for some time has maintained its position as North America’s top-selling LCD TV value brand.

    "However, since the onset of the economic downturn, VIZIO’s share has risen dramatically," he said.

  • HTC Announces North America Version of S740


    HTC is bringing out a North American version of its S740 slider.

    The S743 will switch from the previously Europe-only HSPA 3G to a dual-band 850MHz/1,900MHz link suited to AT&T in the US and Rogers in Canada.

    That apart, the phone will be identical with a lateral slide-out QWERTY keyboard and hardware keys for directions and numbers in place of the touchscreen fitted to the similarly-styled Touch Pro.

    A 3.2-megapixel camera and microSDHC-dependent storage also carry over from the regular S740.

    HTC plans to ship the Windows Mobile 6.1 phone within the first three months of the year as an unlocked, unsubsidized device.

    Pricing hasn’t been announced but expect it to be be high without carrier discounts.