According to Gartner global combined device (PCs, tablets, ultramobiles and mobile phones) shipments are to decline by -3% in 2016, marking a second consecutive year of decline following the -0.75% drop of 2015.
"The global devices market is not on pace to return to single-digit growth soon," the analyst says. As such growth is set to remain flat during the next 5 years, with all segments declining in 2016 except for the single-digit growth shown by premium ultramobiles and entry-level phones.
PC shipments are forecast to drop by -8% in 2016 due to a combination of the install base bottoming out and a halting replacement cycle. That said, 2016 also sees the effect of currency depreciation on the market diminish, leading to flat Q2 2016 market growth (-0.9% Y-o-Y) in W. Europe after 4 consecutive quarters of decline.
However Gartner warns the PC market will remain difficult in W. Europe following the Brexit vote. Vendors will mitigate the currency depreciation of the pound by taking advantage of a likely PC component cost drop and "de-feature" PCs to keep prices down. As a result, PC prices in the UK should increase by less than 10% in 2017.
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