GPS NAVIGATION, HANDS-FREE ACCESSORIES TOP NEW MOBILE ELECTRONICS PRODUCTS AT 2007 SEMA SHOW

More than 200 mobile electronics companies exhibited at the 2007 SEMA Show, 32 percent of them first-time exhibitors looking to tap into the hottest segments of the mobile electronics market. Stand-alone GPS navigation units, for example, continued on their hot streak, accounting for 9.6 percent of mobile electronics entries in the SEMA Show New Product Showcase, up from 9 percent in 2006.

Hands-free cell phone accessories followed at 8.8 percent. Perhaps a reflection of increased awareness and legal necessity while driving, the hands-free accessories category, which includes popular items such a Bluetooth units that double as portable music players, is up 5 percent from 2006.

In-dash multimedia units, those that combine AM/FM tuners, CD and/or DVD players, provisions for portable music players like the iPod and satellite radio, and navigation, accounted for 6.6 percent of all new products, up from just 3 percent in 2006. 

Slightly behind in-dash multimedia head units, backup camera products comprised 6 percent of new product entries, down slightly from 8.2 percent in 2006.

The standard AM/FM/CD stereo receiver, once the bread and butter of the mobile electronics category showed some resilience, accounting for 3.7 of new products, jumping up from its 1.5 percent representation in 2006.

A final honorable mention goes to satellite radio products. Although only accounting for 2.9 percent of new products in 2007, its representation is more fully accounted for in receivers and in-dash multimedia units, most of which come equipped to receive XM or Sirius satellite radio signals.

For more original market research, please visit www.sema.org/research.