Global combined PC, tablet and mobile device shipments are to reach 2.32 billion with 4.5% growth according to Gartner, with a shift to lower-priced devices across all categories driving the market.

As we all know, traditional (desktop and notebook) PC shipments are forecast to drop by -11.2% to 303m units, while the overall PC market (including ultramobiles) is to decline by 8.4%.

Mobile phone volume is to reach over 1.8bn units with 3.7% growth, while tablet shipments are to reach 184m units with 53.4% growth. When it comes to tablets, Gartner confirms the "smaller is better" maxim-- according to a recent international consumer study the average tablet display sizes stands at the 8.3-9.5 inch range, with 45% of 21500 surveyed consumers owning a tablet 8-inch or less in size.

Across Europe hopes are on the rise as the worst of the crisis appears to be finally over, GfK reports-- a number of countries show "considerable" growth in some areas during Q2 2013, while the downward trend shows slowdown in others.

The findings come from the GfK Consumer Climate Europe survey covering the economic development, income expectations and willingness to buy among consumers in 14 European countries.

Overall the EU economy registered 0.4% Q-o-Q growth during Q2 2012, with "Considerable" increases in France, Germany, Portugal and the UK and at least "slight" recovery in the still-shrinking Spanish and Italian economies.

French foreign trade deficit declined significantly, Greece managed to achieve a positive trade balance, and unemployment declined for the first time in 2 years in Portugal.

Juniper Research predicts retail revenues from wearable electronics (including smartwatches and glasses) are to reach $1.4 billion in 2013 before growing to $19bn by 2018, thanks to the combination of high price points and "strong" market demand.

“It is worth observing that this change in adoption levels can also be attributable to heightened consumer awareness of wearable technology and a better visibility of product adoption, especially in the smart watch segment," the analyst says.

According to Juniper the wearable device market should see several changes in the near future as the app model develops and embedded cellular connectivity use increases. These include subscription-based revenues for devices and developers across the health, sports and communication segments.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is "poised to change everything" IDC reports-- promising "huge potential" for new revenue and customer streams with global revenues growing from $4.8 trillion in 2012 to $8.9 trillion by 2020 with a CAGR of 7.9%.

According to the analyst the WW installed base of IoT "things" will reach around 212 billion by end 2012, a total including 30.1bn installed "connected (autonomous) things." Driving such growth are intelligent systems collecting data across both consumer and enterprise applications.

Ongoing developments in smart cities, cars and houses, enhanced connectivity infrastructure and an increasingly connected culture further aid growth.