Feature

Pink is the New Orange

Networks & Network Services
Or so Orange think with a very feminine Christmas lineup, ranging from a pink LG Shine, to a purple Samsung U600. However, a recent survey shows women don't want pink gadgets.
 
The new line up of exclusive handsets available to Pay As You Go and Pay Monthly customers from Orange stores and online via Orange.co.uk, includes a great selection from major brands Sony Ericsson, Samsung and LG, as well as the first device released from Orange’s own label handsets ‘Berlin’. The most varied ever range, priced from £49.99 to 199.99 (for PAYG customers) not only includes a number of exclusive pink devices but "other carefully selected phones in sophisticated hues with unisex appeal" although looking at the range below, there would only seem to be two that aren't girly.

Following on from the success of the LG Shine handset, the limited edition Pink Shine launches exclusively on Orange, who say "this is a handset sure to appeal to the 85% of young women out there who want a pink handset for Christmas".

The problem lies with another survey which shows not many women want pink handsets at all, feeling they are patronised as a consumer group.

Saatchi & Saatchi recently polled UK based female internet users and have found that manufacturers and retailers don't understand or care about them as customers, losing £600m according to the survey.

Only 9% of the women polled think it's important that their gadgets look feminine. With the rest actually turned off by the amount of pink products on offer.

Francois Mahieu, Device Director, Orange UK said: "Colour and fashion handsets have been growing in popularity for a while now and this Christmas demand will be very high.  Based on last year's sales we predict that a quarter of all handsets sold in this period will be colour variants. People want choice, so we have secured exclusivity with top brands as well as launching our own label devices so we can offer customers the best handsets on the market in a range of colours."