Gartner: Customers Refuse to Replace Devices!

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According to Gartner, global combined device (PCs, tablets, ultramobiles and mobile phones) shipments are to drop by -1% to 2.4 billion units-- the result of customers not replacing devices currently in use.

Gartner devices forecast

Such a forecast is a downgrade from previous Gartner forecasts of 1.5% growth. The analyst says shipments of all device categories other than mobile phones (set to grow by 1.5% through smartphone growth reaching 14%) will contract in 2015.

"By 2017, we estimate mobile phone shipments will reach the 2bn mark, and smartphones will represent 89% of the market," Gartner remarks.

Global PC shipments are expected to total 291 million-- a -7.3% decline caused by currency devaluation and subsequent price increases, before reaching flat growth in 2016. Meanwhile 2015 utramobile (tablets and clamshells) device shipments will contract by -12% to reach 199m units, with tablets dropping by -13% to 192m units.

Device replacement survey

In addition, a June 2015 Gartner user survey held in the US, UK, France, China, Brazil and India shows 44% of current tablet users plan to replace their tablets with a different device. The number is higher for laptop users, as 54% plan to get a different device, including the highest percentage of undecided customers.

Go Gartner Forecast PCs, Ultramobiles and Mobile Phones 2012-2019, Q3 2015 Update