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.
"While consumers will be bombarded with ads for the new ultramobile devices, we expect their attention to be grabbed but not necessarily their money," Gartner warns. "Continuing on the trend we saw last year, we expect this holiday season to be all about smaller tablets as even the long-term holiday favorite, the smartphone, loses its appeal."
In other words, stock up on tablets come the holiday season. Gartner also points out an opportunity in hybrid ultramobiles pairing PC functionality with tablet portability, as well as mid-tier smartphones in mature and low-end Android in emerging territories.
Wearables are another potential opportunity, but the analyst expects such devices to remain a companion to mobile phones with less than 1% of consumers will actually replace smartphones with a wearable-tablet combination by 2017.
"For wearables to be successful, they need to add to the user experience by complementing and enhancing what other devices already offer. They also need to be stylish yet practical, and most of all hit the right price," the analyst concludes. "In the short term, we expect consumers to look at wearables as nice to have rather than a "must have," leaving smartphones to play the role of our faithful companion throughout the day."