Reuters reports that more and more shoppers are willing to spend on gadgets with a touchscreen - even if it means they lose on extra features and better quality.
Apparently touchscreen technology - made so popular by the iconic iPhone - has been sweeping consumer electronics, leaving few devices untouched, and even digital cameras are affected. Not to mention PCs, calculators, MP3 players and watches that let users control functions by tapping, sliding or dragging a finger.
Earlier this year, Hewlett-Packard, the world's biggest computer maker, launched touchscreen PCs, signalling the trend was spreading to computers. Swiss watchmaker Tissot even has a 'T-Touch' line of touchscreen watches, Reuters said.
Global touchscreen module revenue is forecast to grow to US$6.4 billion (€4.86 billion) by 2013, rising at a compound annual growth rate of 13.7% from 2008, according to iSuppli.
The technology has its drawbacks: touchscreens often fall short in terms of functionality and picture quality, compared with devices that are similarly priced. apparently customers who own touchscreen devices buy more.
Reuters suggests that perhaps the only device that might remain unaffected could be TV. For many couch potatoes, a remote control is all the 'cool' technology they want.