MUMBAI: As the global market witnesses constant shifts in consumption, combined shipments of connected devices like mobile, tablets and PC is stated to increase to 2.4 billion units this year, according to a report by research firm Gartner.
The report also stated that the sales of traditional desktop and mobile personal computers are expected to drop 7.6 per cent this year, as consumers are shifting to tablets and other devices.
It has also predicted yet another contraction in the worldwide PC market during 2013, and that there will be twice as many android devices shipped as windows systems. The shift from the PC to mobile devices will be accelerated by the rise of lower-priced tablets. This is part of a long-term change in user behaviour rather than a temporary trend caused by the current economic climate.
Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi said, “While there will be some individuals who retain both a personal PC and a tablet, especially those who use either or both for work and play, most will be satisfied with the experience they get from a tablet as their main computing device. As consumers shift their time away from their PC to tablets and smartphones, they will no longer see their PC as a device that they need to replace on a regular basis.”
Moreover, tablet shipments are also predicted to rise by 69.8 per cent from 116 mn units to 197 mn in 2013, with more android devices sold than windows. Form factor variety, the cloud and apps are also expected to be key drivers of demand.
Smartphone shipments are also expected to rise as the price of more advanced handsets comes down, encouraging adoption in emerging markets. The report states that of 1.875 bn smartphones expected to be sold this year, up from 675 mn in 2012.
Gartner research director Ranjit Atwal said, “Lower prices, form factor variety, cloud update and consumers’ addiction to apps will be the key drivers in the tablet market. Growth in the tablet segment will not be limited to mature markets alone. Users in emerging markets who are looking for a companion to their mobile phone will increasingly choose a tablet as their first computing device and not a PC.”
Amongst all the devices, the Google android system was the most popular in 2012 with 22 per cent of the 2.2 bn devices. The Windows operating system was used on 15.6 per cent of devices, while Apple’s iOS was on 10 per cent.
According to the report, Android’s share is likely to rise to nearly 36 per cent in 2013, with 15 per cent for Windows and 12 per cent for Apple.