By Mohamed Fawzy
Experts in the field of Information Technology (IT) predict that mobile phones and computers will see an increase in sales during the coming period, rising by up to EGP 15%. Specialists stated that Egyptians returning home from abroad as well as the recently completed Thanawiya Amma tests will contribute to increased sales, noting that laptop computers will account for the largest portion.
Tablet computers, which have risen in price, will come in second, followed by desktop computers. The computer market sees approximately 600,000 units sold each year, an average of 50,000 units per month.
In the mobile phone sector, experts predicted that Samsung models, especially the Galaxy, will come in first place with Nokia smart phones following.
Amr Ashira, the CEO of CompuMe, said that computer sales increase every year when graduating high school students complete the Certificate of General Secondary Education tests, and as Egyptians living abroad return home. He expects sales to increase by 15%, a standard rise for this time of year. Ashira predicted that his company’s sales would increase by 10% this Ramadan compared to Ramadan 2011.
Khalil Hassan Khalil, head of the computers division of the Chamber of Information Technology Industries, concurred, adding the market will reach its peak during the current week. He did note, however, that it is difficult to gauge the effect of Ramadan on computer sales.
Moustafa Mansour, a sales official with the company It Tac, confirmed that the Thanawiya Amma and the return of Egyptians abroad in July and August contribute to a 10% increase in sales. He added that laptop computers sell more than other units, with tablet computers following and desktop computers come in third place.
Mansour noted that the computer market will see a rise in sales in Ramadan but that it is currently difficult to provide figures for the first week of the holy month. He said that HP computers sold more than any other company, followed by Toshiba and Acer, adding that the Samsung Galaxy Tab was the highest selling tablet computer.
Khaled Mahmoud, a sales representative for the company Touch Electronic, said that the market for mobile phones was witnessing a 10% increase in sales because of the Thanawiya Amma tests.
He said that Samsung models led sales, particularly the Galaxy, followed by Nokia smart phones and a number of Chinese models.
Mahmoud said that his company’s prices were connected to the quality of the phone and its features and did not fluctuate based on the season. He noted that some vendors exploit the increased demand for IT during the current time of the year to raise prices by 8%.
The computer market saw sales of 223,300 units during the first quarter of the current year according to an IDC report. Sales increased by 47% during the first quarter of 2012 compared with the last quarter of 2011.
The report indicated that sales to individuals were 149,000 units, a 50% increase from the last quarter of 2011. Companies purchased only 74,000 units in the first three months of the current year.
The report also showed that laptop computers accounted for 72% of total sales with desktop computers accounting for 28%.
HP sold the most units, followed by Dell and Lenovo. Fujitsu computers came in fourth. In the market for computers sold to individuals, HP and Dell came in first and second respectively, followed by Acer, Samsung, Toshiba, and Lenovo.
