Camera Phones Boost Digital Cam Sales

A study released this week by research firm IDC indicates that the increasing popularity of camera phones is also causing consumers to buy more digital cameras. The firm said that camera phones introduce users to digital photography, and those who want better quality and more features will upgrade. 30 percent of camera phone owners will make this move due to these concerns, the report indicates.

The survey said that 4 billion phone pictures and 28 billion digital camera images were taken last year, and those figures will increase to 7.5 and 40 billion respectively in 2005. However, it seems consumers are becoming less apt to make prints of their imagery, with the rate of printing falling from one per month last year to one every three months this year.