Digital Lifescapes

The personal computing device market continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience despite recent fluctuations. According to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), global PC shipments are projected to reach 273 million units in 2025—a modest but significant 3.7 percent increase over the previous year. This growth reflects the market's adaptation to post-pandemic realities and evolving technology needs across the globe. Personal Computing Market Development While COVID-19 initially triggered unprecedented demand for computing devices during the shift to remote work and online education, we now see a more measured growth pattern. IDC has slightly adjusted its projections downward, indicating a market growing steadily rather than explosively. "In light of so many challenges around the world, Japan is a much-needed source of double-digit growth this year. Enterprises there as well as SMBs have been quickly replacing PCs in advance of the Window...

The semiconductor and smartphone industry stands on the brink of a transformative era, driven by the rapid integration of Generative AI (GenAI) technology into mobile devices. According to the latest global market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), GenAI smartphone shipments are forecast to grow by 363.6 percent in 2024 alone, reaching 234.2 million units. This surge represents 19 percent of the overall smartphone market. As we look toward the future, the adoption of GenAI is anticipated to redefine mobile device user interaction. GenAI Smartphone Market Development GenAI smartphones are defined by their ability to run on-device generative AI models efficiently, thanks to a system-on-a-chip (SoC) featuring a neural processing unit (NPU) with a performance capability of 30 tera operations per second (TOPS) or more, using the int-8 data type. This technological advancement promises to enhance the mobile user experience by enabling more personalized and proactive GenAI tool f...

Soon you will start to experience Artificial Intelligence (AI) benefits everywhere -- in the public cloud, at the edge of mobile networks, and on many personal digital devices. Generative AI (GenAI) workloads have moved beyond the bounds of cloud environments and can now run on-device supported by implementing heterogeneous AI chipsets. Combined with an abstraction layer that can efficiently distribute AI workloads between processing architectures and compressed LLMs with under 15 billion parameters, these advanced chipsets can enable us to run generative AI inferencing locally. On-Device AI Market Development ABI Research estimates worldwide shipments of heterogeneous AI chipsets will reach over 1.8 billion by 2030 as personal computers, smartphones, and other form factors will increasingly ship with on-device AI capabilities. "Cloud deployment will act as a bottleneck for generative AI to scale due to data privacy, latency, and networking cost concerns. Solving these challenges...

The exponential growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications will create demand for new devices that are purposely enabled and enhanced to deliver superior end-user experiences. Worldwide shipments of AI PCs and Generative AI (GenAI) smartphones are projected to total 295 million units by the end of 2024 -- that's up from 29 million units in 2023, according to the latest global market study by Gartner. Gartner defines AI PCs as devices equipped with dedicated AI accelerators or cores, neural processing units (NPUs), accelerated processing units (APUs), or tensor processing units (TPUs), designed to optimize and accelerate AI tasks on the device. GenAI-Enabled Device Market Development This new device platform provides improved performance and efficiency in handling AI and GenAI workloads without relying on external on-prem servers or public cloud services. GenAI smartphones are designed and equipped with hardware and software capabilities that enable integration and efficie...

The total number of roaming connections is anticipated to grow 350 percent over the next five years, with the growing presence of 5G and IoT roaming devices being major driving factors. According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research , growth in global roaming clearing revenues will reach $2.5 billion in 2024. This 30 percent increase will be driven by the rise in 5G roaming connections as mobile service providers continue 5G network expansion. 5G Roaming Market Development For network operators and clearing houses to capitalize on this opportunity, Juniper says they must focus on implementing new technologies and new growth strategies. A major trend is the growth in Internet of Things (IoT) roaming devices, anticipated to reach 595 million globally by 2028. While this brings opportunities, mobile operators see limited revenue per Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) connection. Clearing houses can help by providing highly scalable cloud-based services to handle increasing dat...

The mobile devices market has experienced three years of unpredictable demand. The global pandemic, geopolitical pressures, supply chain issues, and macroeconomic headwinds have hindered the sector's consistent growth potential. This extremely challenging environment has dramatically affected both demand and supply chains. It has led to subsequent inflationary pressures, leading to a worsening global cost of living crisis suppressing growth and confidence in the sector. In tandem, mobile device industry stakeholders have become more cautious triggering market uncertainties. Mobile Device Market Development Operating under such a backdrop, the development of mobile device ecosystems and vendor landscapes have been impacted severely. Many of these market pressures persisted throughout 2022 and now into 2023, borne chiefly by the smartphone market. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, worldwide smartphone shipments in 2022 declined 9.6 percent Year-over-Year...

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector is somewhat resilient to the current volatility in the Global Networked Economy. Forward-thinking CEOs will continue to invest in their high-priority strategic initiatives. For example, here is a case in point on the European continent. ICT spending in Europe will reach $1.2 trillion in 2023 and will surpass $1.4 trillion by 2026, posting a 5.4 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR), according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). European ICT Market Development Overall European ICT spending is forecast to grow by 4.2 percent year-on-year in 2023, driven by the Scandinavian countries and the United Kingdom. On the other hand, sanctions imposed by the EU and the growing number of companies leaving Russia will result in the Russian ICT market shrinking by 9.4 percent year-on-year. "While organizations in most countries are anticipating a recession this year, the outlook for European ICT spen...

The integration of emerging technologies into the hospitality industry is driving new growth opportunities and changing the way guests experience properties. Smart home technology is beginning to transform the global hospitality sector. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, the smart home and connected equipment market across smart hospitality and coworking spaces will see connected shipments rise from 6.8 million devices in 2023 to 19.7 million in 2027 -- that's a CAGR of 23.5 percent. "Service flexibility, cost savings, and meeting changing customer expectations is driving investment in connected technology," said Jonathan Collins, research director at ABI Research . Some dedicated offerings address just one segment of the market. But now, new offerings are increasingly being adopted that address the broader smart homes and smart building markets.  Smart Building Market Development Smart technology is revolutionizing the way hotels operate and ...

The GSM Association introduced the development of a new type of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) which is directly soldered into a mobile device. This eSIM (embedded SIM) could then be programmed to connect to a chosen mobile service provider's network profile via a process known as Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP). According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, the value of the global eSIM market will increase from $4.7 billion in 2023 to $16.3 billion by 2027. eSIM Technology Market Development Increasing by an impressive 249 percent, the market growth will be driven by the adoption of eSIM-enabled mobile devices, as seen in Apple’s recent release of the eSIM-only iPhone 14 smartphone -- driving accelerated mobile network operator support. eSIMs are embedded within mobile devices, enabling devices and sensors to seamlessly switch between mobile network operator profiles. Juniper analysts predict that Apple will expand the deployment of eSIM-only devices to Europ...

Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) are underutilized in many factories, warehouses, hospitals, and smart offices. Moreover, the typical systems offered by IT solution providers leverage standalone software deployments with proprietary hardware. However, IT hardware costs will drop as more customers abandon proprietary systems to reduce vendor lock-in, increase application interoperability, and reduce the initial deployment costs, according to the latest market study by ABI Research. As a result, the sector will diversify and complement hardware sales by monetizing deployments through service models augmented by additional software features -- such as analytics and device management. Real-Time Location Systems Market Development According to the latest ABI Research market forecast, RTLS service revenue will be worth $3.7 billion in 2022 and will rise to $24.9 billion by 2030, at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.8 percent. "As RTLS hardware, such as tags and anchors, beco...

Wireless communications technology applications will gain new momentum in 2022. Looking ahead, wireless device connectivity innovations such as Wi-Fi 6 and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology adoption will accelerate new growth. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, next year Wi-Fi 6 will reach over 1.5 billion annual chipset shipments, while 6 GHz enabled Wi-Fi 6E chipsets are forecasted to nearly triple. Meanwhile, Ultra-Wideband devices are expected to reach nearly half-a-billion units as adoption increases within smartphones, wearables, speakers, personal trackers, and RTLS applications. Wireless Innovation Market Development "The wireless connectivity landscape continues to evolve thanks to the emergence of new technologies, enhancements to established technologies, and continued innovation and competition across the chipset, module and device ecosystems," said Andrew Zignani, research director at ABI Research . 2022 will be a critical year for wire...

While the wearables trend began with the wristband device, sensor miniaturization has now progressed to a wide range of form factors. As an example, the 'hearable' or ear-based wearable device combines these sensor inputs and additional computing power with a variety of new use cases for the ear. More miniaturization will help drive the capabilities of the market, as well as push hearables capability into the mid-tier device market. This sector is uniquely positioned, with more mainstream market pricing, to change both the wearables space and the existing ear-based device sector. Being able to successfully navigate this evolving landscape will require both a clear vendor vision on what the sector can achieve and an awareness of what existing technology partners can bring to the market. Hearables Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, there will be an estimated 417 million hearables in use by 2022. This includes fitness-fo...

CIOs and CTOs report that they continue to explore new internet technology apps. According to the latest worldwide market study by Berg Insight, the global market for the Internet of Things (IoT) device management and application enablement platforms reached $1.1 billion in 2017. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36.2 percent, the total market value is expected to reach $4.9 billion in 2022. Internet of Things Platform Market Development IoT platforms provide middleware to connect and manage devices and integrate collected data into various applications and services. These platforms are intended to reduce the cost and development time for IoT solutions by providing standardized components that enterprises can build upon. The IoT platform market is notably crowded and hosts a multitude of players spanning from small start-ups to major legacy companies in the technology and industrial sectors. These pioneers have developed offerings that typically have a specific...

The introduction of progressive smartphone designs have truly been a game changer in consumer electronics -- essentially re-imagining the user interface (UI) on a hand-held device. Meanwhile, user expectations have been elevated, as these devices are applied in a broader range of use-cases. The result is that mobile handset manufacturers have had to innovate and explore new modes of interactive device control that enable users to operate a handset without having to touch it directly. It's anticipated that by 2019 the global market for services based on gesture and biometric interface technologies will be worth an estimated $1.2 billion, that's up from less than $2 million this year, according to the latest market study by Juniper Research . Juniper found that innovation in mobile phone hardware and software has paved the way for a new paradigm of handset interaction, including touch-less command and biometric identification. They believe that although advanced Human Int...

There's an evolving co-dependent ecosystem of vendors offering many new interrelated products and services that are helping to fuel growth in the mobile sector of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) industries. According to the latest market study by Yankee Group, the mobile economy is now blooming at an even faster rate than expected -- by 2017 the collective market will be valued at $3.1 trillion, that's $200 billion more than the $2.9 trillion they forecast in October 2012. This spike in potential earnings can be credited to all four mobile categories -- devices, commerce, broadband, software apps and related cloud services -- all seeing increased market interest. In their latest study, Yankee Group took a closer look at some of the key metrics and data trends behind the largest, most significant pockets of mobile industry growth. The mobile devices and mobile commerce sectors are growing quicker than previously forecast, with expectations for mobile ...

As the potential for smart wearable devices continues to draw new entrants into the market, it is the sports and healthcare functionality that seems to dominate shipments and drives future wearable device adoption. Today, the most popular device functionality is heart rate monitoring with close to 12 million devices shipped in 2013, according to the findings from the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research. These are primarily single function devices that communicate with nearby hubs such as smartphones or activity sports watches. Pedometers and activity trackers were the next two most popular devices, accounting for around 16 million devices combined in 2013. "The market for wearable computing devices is driven by a growing range of wireless connected wearable sports, fitness and well-being devices," said Jonathan Collins, principal analyst at ABI Research. Heart rate and activity monitors will outpace shipments of smart watches and glasses for some years to ...

The creative talent of independent software developers has helped to make the smartphone and media tablet into a global phenomena. International Data Corporation (IDC) has released new estimates for the worldwide software developer, plus the closely related Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skilled worker population. The numbers of software developers and ICT-skilled workers in the world are important for a variety of resource allocation and investment decisions -- and because they are the gating factors to addressable market calculations for many software and IT services providers. So, how big is the current talent pool? Heading into 2014, IDC believes that there are 18.5 million software developers in the world, of which 11 million are professional software developers and 7.5 million are hobbyist developers. According to the IDC assessment, there are 29 million ICT-skilled workers in the world -- including professional software developers and 18 million operations ...

Securing devices with 24/7 mobile data access has become an ever increasing concern, both from a consumer and an enterprise point of view. According to the latest market study by Juniper Research, more than 80 percent of the total enterprise and consumer owned smartphone device base will remain unprotected through 2013 -- despite a steadily increasing consumer awareness of mobile security products. Juniper claims that the low level of adoption of security software can be attributed to a number of factors, including the relatively low consumer awareness about online attack on mobile devices and a widespread consumer perception that the price of security products is excessive. Their study found that nearly 1.3 billion mobile devices -- including smartphones, feature-phones and media tablets -- are expected to have mobile security software installed by 2018, that's up from around 325 million this year. Increasing Risks for Mobile Devices The study also found that security ri...

More smartphones in the workplace typically mean more challenges for IT managers. Mobile workspace management describes a set of technologies and services that securely separate enterprise applications and content from personal applications and content. Currently, the two main technologies that comprise mobile workspace management solutions are application wrapping and containers. Application wrapping solution adoption is predicted to edge out application containers, according to the latest comprehensive market study by ABI Research. "Application wrappers will win out because of the perceived simplicity of the solution," said Jason McNicol, senior analyst at ABI Research . "Even traditional MDM (mobile device management) vendors are packaging app wrapping as a value-added solution to retain existing customers as the enterprise mobility market continues to evolve." Globally, application wrapping adoption will grow at a healthy 27 percent through 2018 whereas...

Last year was very troublesome for the video gaming console vendors. After shipping over 3 million Wii U units during the 2012 holiday season, Nintendo’s next generation console is now facing a challenging market. 2012 saw just under 30 million game consoles shipped from Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony (excluding PS2) -- that's roughly 10 million fewer than the previous year. Despite these results ABI Research looks at 2013 and beyond with cautious optimism, but the company expects Microsoft and Sony to determine the future prospects for the game console, not Nintendo. "The Nintendo Wii U’s troubles are not indicative of the expected market reception for the remaining 8th generation of consoles," said Michael Inouye, Senior analyst at ABI Research . In fact, the Wii U will likely prove a closer fit with the current generation than the next. The software released to date also bears out this assessment with many cross-platform games that were previously available fr...