Report: Tablet PCs, Set-Top Box Will Be Hot This Holiday Season

Self-proclaimed RECOMMERCE service Gazelle, which pays consumers to recycle their used electronics, has released its forecast of what gadgets will be the hot sellers this holiday season. It based its predictions on analysis of recent consumer electronics trade-in trends.

According to Gazelle, while the coming season looks bright for the market as a whole, data shows some clear winners. Leading the pack of hot-for-the-holiday devices are set-top boxes and tablet PCs.

In fact, with the success of the iPad and the launch of the Galaxy Tab, Gazelle saw substantial spikes in both netbook and eBook trades. And yet, even so, the company predicts that reduced price points for the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook and Kobo 2 should make dedicated e-readers popular gifts as well.

Other hot electronics gifts should include MP3 players (predominantly the iPod touch), gaming consoles, video games, and - of course - mobile phones and smartphones. In particular models running Microsoft's new Windows Phone 7 operating system, such as the HTC HD7 (T-Mobile) and Samsung Focus (AT&T), as a recent uptick in BlackBerry trade-in rates suggests that business-minded users are eager to adopt mobile devices powered by Microsoft.

Meanwhile, given that camcorder trades have increased 30%, Gazelle envisages a great holiday market coming up for pocket recorders such as the Kodak Playtouch and the Flip Ultra and MinoHD.

"Analyzing trade-in data is a great way to predict consumer behavior, and this year we're seeing some very clear trends," said Chief Gadget Officer of Gazelle Anthony Scarsella Anthony Scarsella in a statement. "Apple's suite of products is poised to dominate the consumer electronic market again this holiday season, but also expect to see mobile phones running Android and Windows Phone 7 platforms to perform well. With the release of Playstation Move and Microsoft Kinect, gaming consoles and titles should also continue as a rising trend."

As for what Gazelle thinks may sit on the shelves more than expected this December. Well, there’s the iPhone 4, which will still be hot but, due to a drop off of iPhone trades as consumers wait for Verizon's iPhone launch next year, won't dominate the way iPhones have in the past; Verizon smartphones (same reason for the expected AT&T iPhone 4 dip); digital cameras; netbooks; and desktop computers.