Top 6 Most Popular Tech Gifts for Kids: Nielsen Survey Results

Nov 26, 2010
Christina Gregoire

Top Tech Gifts for Kids - photo ramzi hashisho

Nielsen announced the results of a survey of tech items for consumers. Tech sales & popularity is also important news for investors.

The Nielsen Company is one of the most important sources for predicting American consumer habits, and here are the results from a survey of American children, ages 6 years to 12 years old.

The Nielsen Company is a global marketing and advertising research company based in New York. Nielsen is one of the most respected suppliers of marketing research in the world and has been in business since 1923.

"Kids in the U.S. Eyeing Big-Ticket Tech This Holiday Season", published on November 22, 2010 at Nielsen.com, reported the top results of their children's technology poll:

In first place was the iPad.
In second and third place (tied) were iPod Touch / any computer.
In fourth place was Nintendo DS / DSi / DS Lite.
In fifth and sixth place (tied) were Sony Playstation 3 or PS3 Slim / non-iPhone smartphone.
In seventh place was any other mobile phone.
In eighth place was iPhone.
In ninth place was any television set.
In tenth place was Nintendo 3DS.
In eleventh place was Nintendo Wii.
In twelfth place was PlayStation Move.
In thirteenth place was Blu-Ray player.
In fourteenth place was Kinect for Xbox 360.
In fifteenth place was PlayStation Portable.
In sixteenth place was Xbox 360.
In seventeenth place was E-Reader.

Apple iPad is Most Wanted Gift

Thirty-one percent of kids, interviewed by Nielsen, said that the Apple iPad is the one tech device that they want more than any other. And, they said that they hoped to get this tablet computer sometime in the next six months. I guess these kids have it down to a fine art and have calculated how many months of pestering it will take to wear their parents down.

Tie: Second / Third Most Popular – iPod Touch or Computer

More popular than video games, can you believe this, is the iPod Touch or a computer. Nielsen did not reveal if kids preferred a Mac or PC, but iPod Touch and computers were listed by 29 percent of kids.

Lest you worry that American kids are turning into brainiac workaholics, who only want to study and call their friends to find out about their homework, I must point out that the iPod Touch can be used for music and games. But, the kids that want iPod Touches are being practical because this is one truly multitasking tech toy.

Nintendo – Fourth Most Popular Item

Not surprisingly, the wildly popular Nintendo DS handheld, portable video-game system came in at third place. Twenty-five percent of kids said this was their top pick.

Play Station and Smartphones Tied for Fifth / Sixth

Twenty percent of kids answered that they really wanted a Sony PlayStation 3 PS Slim (a lighter version of the game console). Another twenty percent said they wanted a Smartphone or a similar mobile phone device.

Other High Tech Toys

Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 are also big faves with the tykes. However, there is one huge monkey wrench that has been thrown into this ranking system. The Nielsen survey was put together before the official introduction of the mighty Xbox 360 peripheral Kinect.

Why would analysts get all excited about Microsoft’s controller-free Xbox 360 peripheral Kinect? It sold 1 million units in just ten days.

Almost 90 percent of retailers are expected to offer big-time Cyber Monday bargains, according to The National Retail Federation. And, as we’ve seen with Black Thursday, Turkey-Day sales, the online savings could actually become Cyber Sunday deals. Why would one online site want another online site to beat them to the punch and grab the most cash. We will have to see how this plays out.

As an update for December 2, 2010, Microsoft's Kinect is expected to outperform Nintendo Wii in the coming weeks.

Resources:

"Kids in the US Eyeing Big Ticket Tech This Holiday Season"

Reisinger, Don. "Nielsen: Kids Want iPad for Holidays" cnet.com

Dimmel, Brandon. "Nielsen Report Ranks Most-Wanted Tech Gifts for Kids" infopackets.com

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