Visit our other websites:    On CE ... eSP ... Mobile Channels ... ECI news ... rAVe Europe ... Digital Signage News EMEA

Gartner: Devices Continue to Grow

E-mail Print PDF

Global device (PCs, tablets and mobile phones) shipments are set to total 2.4 billion in 2013 before reaching over 2.9 billion by 2017 Gartner reports, even if the device mix will see changes during the period.

Consumer preference to lower-priced tablets, coupled with growing capability, accelerates the shift away from PCs-- traditional desktop and notebook PC shipments are to drop by -7.9% during 2013, although ultramobile shipments should offset the decline to -3.5% when combined.

Gartner 2013 device shipments

"While there will be some individuals who retain both a personal PC and a tablet, especially those who use either or both for work and play, most will be satisfied with the experience they get from a tablet as their main computing device," the analyst says. "As consumers shift their time away from their PC to tablets and smartphones, they will no longer see their PC as a device that they need to replace on a regular basis."

Meanwhile Gartner forecasts 2013 global tablet shipments will reach 197m units with 69.8% growth with "lower prices, form factor variety, cloud update and consumers' addiction to apps" as key market drivers. Emerging markets will also push shipments, as more users will purchase tablets (instead of PCs) as a companion device to their mobile phones.

Smartphones should become more affordable in 2013 and beyond, driving adoption in emerging markets and the prepay segment of mature markets. Gartner predicts 2013 smartphone shipments reaching 1bn units, with overall mobile phone shipments of 1.875bn.

When it comes to operating systems, Android dominates thanks to strong smartphone market growth, followed by Windows and iOS/MacOS.

"The trend towards smartphones and tablets will have much wider implications than hardware displacement," Gartner concludes. "Software and chipset architecture are also impacted by this shift as consumers embrace apps and personal cloud."

Go Gartner Says WW PC, Tablet and Mobile Phone Combined Shipments to Reach 2.4bn in 2013