Apple might claim its biggest iPhone-driven quarter ever, but Android also reaches a milestone in 2014-- global Google-powered smartphone shipments reach 1 billion units in 2014, a first according to Strategy Analytics.

The analyst says overall 2014 smartphone shipments total 1.3bn (another industry record) with 30% growth, up from 1bn in 2013. Android device account for 81% of the total, one driven by shipments in emerging markets such as China and Indonesia.

The only threat to Android is, of course, iOS-- 2014 iPhone shipments total 192.7m with 15% smartphone share according to the analyst, as the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models reenergise Apple growth through high-end market sales. On the other hand Windows Phone remains niche with 3% share and shipments reaching 38.8m units.

According to Futuresource Consulting both smartphone and tablet markets are reaching saturation in W. Europe, but while smartphone shipments continue to grow the same cannot be said on a tablet market headed for decline.

In fact, the analyst says major markets have reached tablet saturation earlier than expected, and as such W. European tablet shipments are slowing down during 2015 before consumer shipment start declining by 2017.

Apple and Samsung make "more than half" of 2014 tablet shipments.

"There has been a significant shift towards smaller screen sizes in the last few years, but this is now stabilising, with 60% of the market falling into the 7- to 8-inch category in 2014," Futuresource adds. "In the UK, overall tablet shipments declined by 2%, despite double digit growth in the total W. European market and 24% growth in E. Europe."

According to IDC EMEA Q4 2014 PC shipments total 25.5 million units with 2% Y-o-Y growth as "strong" holiday season consumer demand helps the market retain positive (if "modest and patchy") results for a 3rd consecutive quarter.

The analyst adds EMEA shipments for overall 2014 are up by 5.5% to 93.3m units.

W. Europe remains the growth driver for the region, with 10.7% Y-o-Y Q4 2014 shipment growth through "healthy" consumer shipments, while CEE shipments are down by -18.7% Y-o-Y and MEA shows 2.6% Y-o-Y growth. Meanwhile currency fluctuations impact N. Europe, Russia and other CEMA countries, as do an unstable political situation and macroeconomic weaknesses. Either way, the analyst says EMEA dynamics point out a need for renewals in mature markets, as well as the struggles of emerging economies.

Gartner reports EMEA PC shipments total 26.5 million units in Q4 2014-- a "slight" 2.8% Y-o-Y increase driven by consumer notebook shipments drawing attention away from Android devices during the holiday season.

However the lower price points of such devices (specifically notebooks and 2-in-1 hybrids) leads to a drop in ASPs and vendor margins, even as hybrids are performing "very well" by serving as a replacement for both older notebooks and tablets, leading customers to hit two birds with one device stone.

From a global perspective Q4 2014 PC shipments are also up, if slightly-- specifically by 1% Y-o-Y to reach 83.7m units, an indication of "slow but consistent" improvement following over 2 years of decline.

"The PC market is quietly stabilising after the installed base reduction driven by users diversifying their device portfolios," Gartner says. "Installed base PC displacement by tablets peaked in 2013 and the first half of 2014. Now that tablets have mostly penetrated some key markets, consumer spending is slowly shifting back to PCs."

Gartner predicts a slow 2015 for the tablet market, with global sales growing by 8% to 233 million units following a "troubled" 2014, one where growth failed to reach the levels seen in the last 4 years.

"The collapse of the tablet market in 2014 was alarming," the analyst remarks. "In the last 2 years global sales of tablets were growing in double-digits. The steep drop can be explained by several factors. One is that the lifetime of tablets is being extended-- they are shared out amongst family members and software upgrades, especially for iOS devices, keep the tablets current. Another factor includes the lack of innovation in hardware which refrains consumers from upgrading."

As this year in Consumer IT comes to a close, we get around to decide which industry stories were the most important. Was the HP split the biggest story of the year, or was it Windows reaching version 10? Take a moment to gather your Top 10 before comparing it with ours below!

HP breaks up: In a bid to turn its fortunes around HP got to split itself in two, with one half taking PCs and printers while the other handles corporate hardware and services operations. This means HP is effectively two companies, HP Inc and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise.

PC market sees improvement: Analyst appear to agree that the PC market returns to growth in 2014, following a difficult 2013. For instance, IDC says Q3 2014 EMEA PC shipments were up by 10.3% Y-o-Y, with shipments driven by W. European markets, while Context says Q4 2014 W. European PC shipments are up by 16.9%.

The W. European PC market (covering desktops, notebooks and workstations) sees "solid" growth during Q4 2014 Context reports, with volume sales growing by 16.9% over the same period last year.

Fueling such growth is a 25.4% Y-o-Y increase in consumer PCs, one pushed by low-cost notebook sales during the early holiday shopping rush. However the analyst points out the return to consumer PC growth comes on the back of a weak 2013.

In the meantime business PCs show 6.9% Y-o-Y Q4 2014 growth, as a a "small" desktop decline offsets a 14.9% notebook increase. Context says business growth is slowing down as the XP migration effect is lessening, but unlike the consumer market the Q4 2014 results come on the back of positive 2013 results for the segment.

Strategy Analytics reports Q3 2014 tablet shipments total 55.2 million units, a 6% Y-o-Y increase (or 5% Q-o-Q) in part driven by devices with innovative form factors from Asus and Lenovo.

Android OS share reaches 72%, an all-time high fueled by white box Android tablets available in many different screen size, connectivity and price options. Meanwhile Windows reaches 6%, a record for Microsoft thanks to a full quarter of Surface Pro 3 availability.