Does my iPod look big in this?

By Jessamy Hawley, Contributing Writer
RealTechNews

An emerging generation of tech-savvy women are spending more on new gadgets and gizmos than ever before, with many choosing their next purchase with the same attention to detail as if they were buying a new pair of shoes – according to a poll for GadgetCandy.com.

Asking almost 2,000 women about their technology buying habits and how they chose their gadget purchases, 27% revealed they now spend over £1,000 a year on stocking up their gadget wardrobe with items like mobile phones, MP3 players and digital cameras.

According to the women polled, the most important criteria when buying new technology was that it has to be fashionable, with 32% demanding that the gadget be up-to-date with the latest trends for it to appeal to them.

When choosing new kit, women see size as the second most important factor, with 22% demanding handbag-friendly kit – as demonstrated by strong sales in 2005/2006 for bulge-free gizmos like the iPod nano and Motorola RAZR. Amongst females, ease of use and brand name are relegated to third and fourth positions respectively, whilst just 13% polled saw affordability as a barrier to buying the gadget they wanted.

Manufacturers and top designers are now clambering to marry looks and technology in order to appeal to a growing market of female consumers, with Roberto Cavalli teaming with 3 to produce a fashion phone and hot British fashion designer Matthew Williamson designing a DAB digital Radio for Intempo (pictured).

“The outcome of this poll celebrates a growing mindset amongst females that the phone we carry or the MP3 player we choose is vital to our individual style statement as the handbag we own or the shoes we wear,” says Jessamy Hawley from GadgetCandy.com. “We’re treating ourselves to the latest mobile phone, in the same way as we indulge in a new pair of Jimmy Choos.”