Digital Lifescapes

The worldwide smart connected device market -- comprised of PCs, tablets, and smartphones -- is forecast to grow 27.8 percent year-over-year in 2013, that's slightly lower than the 30.3 percent growth in 2012. The growth will be driven by tablet and smartphone shipments, while the PC outlook has been lowered by 10 percent in 2013. As a result, the International Data Corporation (IDC), now expects tablet shipments to surpass total PC shipments (desktop plus portable PCs) in the fourth quarter of 2013 (4Q13). PCs shipments are still expected to be greater than tablet shipments for the full year, but IDC forecasts tablet shipments will surpass total PC shipments on an annual basis by the end of 2015. Smartphones will continue to ship in high volumes, surpassing 1.4 billion units in 2015 and accounting for 69 percent of all smart connected device shipments worldwide. Moreover, the worldwide smart connected device market will again exhibit double-digit year-over-year growth of 1...

The downward trend for personal computer demand now seems perpetual. The global PC market continued to suffer slow shipment growth in leading countries across key regions in May, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). April shipment growth had improved slightly from March in Latin America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), but May growth has come in slower than April for each of these markets -- except India and UK. IDC's quarterly PC forecast from May projected worldwide PC shipment declines of -11.7 percent in the second quarter of 2013 (2Q13), -4.7 percent in the third quarter, and -1.6 percent in the fourth quarter -- resulting in total annual growth of -7.8 percent for 2013. This follows a decline of -13.3 percent in the first quarter of 2013 and -4.0 percent for all of 2012. The results for May are behind pace for achieving the projected 2Q13 growth rates, although stronger June results could still make up most if not all o...

According to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), media tablet shipments are expected to grow 58.7 percent year over year in 2013 reaching 229.3 million units -- that's up from 144.5 million units last year. IDC now predicts tablet shipments will exceed those of portable PCs this year, as the slumping PC market is expected to see negative growth for the second consecutive year. As I mentioned yesterday , IDC expects media tablet shipments to outpace the entire PC market (portables and desktops combined) by 2015. "What started as a sign of tough economic times has quickly shifted to a change in the global computing paradigm with mobile being the primary benefactor," said Ryan Reith, Program Manager at IDC . Tablets surpassing portables in 2013, and total PCs in 2015, marks a significant change in consumer attitudes about compute devices and the applications and ecosystems that power them. IDC continues to believe that PCs will have an im...

Worldwide shipments of all smart connected devices grew by 29.1 percent year-over-year in 2012 -- crossing 1 billion units shipped with a value of $576.9 billion, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). The market expansion was largely driven by 78.4 percent year-over-year growth in media tablet shipments -- which surpassed 128 million in 2012. Looking specifically at the results for the fourth quarter of 2012 (4Q12), combined shipments of desktop PCs, notebook PCs, media tablets, and smartphones was nearly 378 million and revenues were more than $168 billion. In terms of market share, Apple significantly closed the gap with market leader Samsung in the quarter, as the combination of Apple's iPhone 5 and iPad Mini brought Apple up to 20.3 percent unit shipment share versus 21.2 percent for Samsung. On a revenue basis for the fourth quarter, Apple continued to dominate with 30.7 percent share versus 20.4 percent share for Samsung. Goin...

The good news for people who needed to replace an old Windows-based PC was that if you search online you can still find refurbished new PCs that had Windows 7 installed. Otherwise, ongoing demand for PCs with the leading operating system was weak. Despite the intense industry efforts to overcome market inertia, 2012 nonetheless ended badly -- with global PC shipment volume shrinking 3.7 percent, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). With dramatically lower than forecast adoption of Windows 8 during the 2012 holiday season, and continued pressure from low-cost media tablets, IDC now expects PC shipments to decline further by 1.3 percent in 2013. Disappointing holiday sales to consumers, an underwhelming reception to the Windows 8 launch and reduced IT budgets characterized the market during the second half of 2012 -- leading to a year-on-year decline of 8.3 percent in fourth quarter shipments. Furthermore, emerging market growth ...

When we take a holistic view of smartphones, tablets, and PCs, one thing is obvious -- notebook and netbook PCs are no longer a driving force in personal or business mobility application growth. According to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), vendors shipped 367.7 million desktop PCs, portable PCs, tablets, and smartphones -- collectively called "Smart Connected Devices" -- in the fourth quarter of 2012 (4Q12), that combined market was up by 28.3 percent from the prior year. As desktop PCs and portable PCs declined -- by -4.1 percent and -3.4 percent respectively -- the overall smart connected device space continued to surge to just over 1.2 billion shipments cumulatively in 2012. Tablet shipments experienced the largest year-over-year growth in 2012, that's up 78.4 percent over 2011, while smartphones grew 46.1 percent but accounted for 60.1 percent of all smart connected devices shipped throughout the year. After finishing 2011 seco...

As predicted, the worldwide PC market has contracted sharply in the third quarter of 2012 (3Q12), with shipments declining 8.6 percent from the third quarter of 2011, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). That being said, the results are significantly below IDC's earlier forecast of a 3.8 percent year-on-year market contraction. Continued pressure from other products such as media tablets and smartphones, as well as uncertainty over the impact of Microsoft Windows 8 and the economic outlook, contributed to depressed shipments. Nevertheless, despite an already conservative outlook, the results show the vulnerability of PCs and the loss of mind-share among buyers who until recent years have flocked to promotions in the third quarter for PCs. "PCs are going through a severe slump," said Jay Chou, senior research analyst at IDC . The industry had already weathered a rough second quarter, and now the third quarter was even wors...

According to the latest market study by ABI Research, despite the ongoing marketing campaign to educate audiences about the Intel-based ultrabook computers, most mainstream potential users have not been interested in these relatively high-priced systems. In hindsight, ABI believes that Intel was too optimistic with its prediction that 40 percent of all notebook computers this year would be ultrabooks. Clearly, that has not happened. Uptake of expensive thin and light notebook computers during the first half of 2012 was disappointing, though new market data from ABI Research now forecasts 20 million will ship worldwide in 2012. Ultrabooks -- a term coined by Intel for ultra-portable computers based on its processor architecture -- are part of the broader portable computing market typically associated with the latest notebook PC phenomenon. Targeted at the mid-range to high-range price category, the most popular ultra-portable computer today is the Apple MacBook Air. "Init...

Mobile broadband related advances are changing the legacy business models of the telecom sector. In developing nations around the globe, many people will likely encounter the internet for the first time via an inexpensive smartphone. Infonetics Research has released excerpts from its latest 3G and 4G (LTE, WiMAX) Broadband Devices and Subscribers market study that highlights these changes. The global study and resulting report tracks smartphones, smartphone OS, mobile broadband USBs, embedded mobile broadband cards and devices, netbook and tablet OS, mobile broadband and WiMAX routers, and mobile broadband subscribers. "We expect to see some segmentation in the smartphone market in the next 12 to 24 months between high-end 'ultra smart' smartphones and a new breed of 'smart enough' smartphones aimed at the lower end of the market," says Richard Webb, directing analyst at Infonetics Research . Infonetics says that ZTE and Huawei have already launched lo...

The worldwide personal computer (PC) market saw growth stall in the second quarter of 2012 (2Q12), with shipments falling 0.1 percent from a year ago, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). The results are slightly below IDC's May projections of 2.1 percent year-on-year growth, but in-line with projections of a slow second and third quarter before faster growth by year end. Part of the reason for slow 2Q12 sales was disappointing sell-out of distribution channels during the first quarter. This limited demand from channels that are wary of building inventory ahead of new product launches this fall. Moreover, consumers remained reluctant about purchasing PCs in this environment of tech transition and soft economics. Ultrabooks have not yet produced any meaningful rise in volumes, perhaps due to the perceived high price and questionable added value. Constrained demand in Europe and the U.S. has also been felt in emerging markets for some ...

The worldwide personal computer (PC) market is forecast to grow at 5 percent year-over-year in 2012. According to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), nearly 383 million PCs will ship into the market this year. That's a slight improvement over the tepid growth seen in 2011 -- as PC sales continue to falter amidst intensifying competition from alternative devices and a highly volatile global economy. In addition to rising consumer saturation in mature regions, economic uncertainty -- as well as the anticipated launch of Microsoft Windows 8 -- and growth of competing media tablet devices are the key factors affecting the market outlook. With the threat of a relapse into recession in several markets adversely affecting public spending and business confidence, the 2012 forecast for several key segments has been reduced -- especially among small and medium-sized firms. IDC believes that Windows 8 could help to reinvigorate a consumer market that has l...

According to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), worldwide personal computer (PC) shipment growth for 2011 ended on a slightly positive note -- growing to 1.8 percent on the year. While the first half of 2012 is expected to see only modest shipment growth, the launch of Windows 8 and the upside potential from new ultrabooks and other ultra-thin notebooks should drive second half sales in a much stronger way. Meaning, that's the hopeful outlook, at this time. For much of 2011, vendors struggled to maintain consumer interest in a market beset by a tenuous economic recovery and disrupted by emerging consumer electronics devices. The lack of interest was evidenced by a lackluster Christmas holiday season. Just how bad did was the global market downturn? Mature markets such as the United States and Western Europe, in particular, had a rough year -- with PC shipments in 2011 shrinking by 9 percent compared to 2010. Looking ahead, the PC market will st...

Overall mobile PC shipments grew 12 percent Quarter over Quarter and 44 percent Year over Year -- reaching 88 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011. This was driven by continuing strong demand for media tablets, according to the latest market study by NPD DisplaySearch . Tablet PC shipment growth was 42 percent Q/Q and 210 percent Y/Y -- reaching 31.7 million units in Q4’11. Notebook PC shipments were flat Q/Q but up nearly 11 percent Y/Y -- reaching 56.3 million units. As expected, consumer mobile PC adoption was focused on tablets, holding up demand in notebooks. "Mobile PC brands read the writing on the wall in the fourth quarter," said Richard Shim, Senior Analyst at NPD DisplaySearch. Apple's 26.6 percent share in Q4’11 is largely due to its dominant position in tablet PCs, which propelled it to nearly three times the shipments of HP. The other brands in the top five market share rankings relied almost exclusively on notebook PC shipments to establish the...

Flash memory technology advancements, changes in the expectations for new mobile PC capabilities, enterprise server and storage architectures, and hard disk drive (HDD) shortages are all impacting the worldwide solid state storage (SSD) market. Chromebooks and media tablets are just one example of where the requirement for fast start-up and instant-resume access to the client device has raised the bar on design considerations. Informed people simply won't accept the legacy mobile PC constraints. The demand for superior SSD technology has risen as a result. According to the latest market study by International Data Corporation ( IDC ), the worldwide solid state storage industry revenue reached $5 billion in 2011 -- that's a 105 percent increase from the $2.4 billion in 2010. IDC expects the SSD market will expand further in 2012 and beyond. "2011 was a record year for the worldwide SSD market, with revenue more than doubling year over year due to strong SSD shipment...

Personal Computer (PC) shipments totaled 92.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2011 (4Q11), down 0.2 percent compared to the same quarter in 2010, according to the International Data Corporation ( IDC ). Shortages of hard disk drives (HDDs) added to challenges from slow economic conditions and competition from other consumer electronics -- including media tablets, eReaders and smartphones. The 4Q11 results reflected a year-on-year decline of 0.2 percent for the quarter and growth of 1.6 percent for the full year. This was in-line with IDC projections of a 0.6 percent decline for the fourth quarter and 1.5 percent growth for all of 2011. Despite the overall market volatility, most regions slightly exceeded forecast. Most Tier 1 PC vendors had access to sufficient HDD supply, though smaller PC vendors and retail channels experienced drive shortages. "Europe and Asia-Pacfic came in a little stronger than expected, reflecting improvement in key markets and the strength of unde...

Multifaceted mobile devices, such as smartphones, are now pervasive in many markets. Moreover, these coexist with various other types of mobile computing or communication devices. The trend in developed markets is clear -- consumers are likely purchasing these devices with specific primary use-case scenarios in mind. Whether that preferred device is a laptop PC, smartphone, portable media player (PMPs), or media tablet depends on many factors. According to the findings from the latest market study by NPD In-Stat, they have been able to identify survey respondent's defining attitudes and behaviors toward these smart mobile devices. One key finding was that the size of the screen tends to create an optimal use case for the device. Specifically, larger screen devices seem to fulfill productivity needs while smaller screen devices tend to satisfy communication or entertainment needs. "The majority of tablet owners have a screen size between 9 and 11 inches -- a size optimiz...

Partly driven by the desire to be connected anywhere, anytime -- and to have access to every type of content -- the consumer electronics (CE) industry continues to develop new mobile communication and computing platforms. A key dynamic of this change is the consumer desire for a rich visual experience on any size screen. This experience continues to push the limits of current mobile System-on-a-Chip (SoC) capabilities and makes the graphics processing unit (GPU) one of the most critical components in the design and differentiation of the SoC and consumer devices. According to the latest market study by NPD In-Stat , they now forecast that these trends will push the mobile SoC TAM to over 3.1 billion devices in 2015 -- that's up from 2 billion in 2010. Devices that may require a mobile SoC include cellphones, smartphones, netbook PCs, media tablets, digital still cameras, mp3 players, personal navigation devices, e-readers, handheld game consoles, digital camcorders, and porta...

We're moving towards an online user experience where ubiquitous multiscreen connectivity will become the norm, and new portable digital devices enable the flexible personalization of all published multimedia content. The early-adopters are already viewing consumer-produced and professional video programs on combinations of their media tablets, smartphones, netbook PCs or chromebooks. This multiscreen adoption trend will soon become a mainstream user activity. As mobile devices continue to improve, every media consumer will expect high definition (HD) video on everything. The pay-TV services are ramping up TV Everywhere to compete with the leading direct-to-consumer OTT services -- such as Netflix, Amazon and Vudu. As a result, the momentum behind multiscreen content delivery platforms is accelerating, and according to the latest market study by NPD In-Stat , they now forecast that revenues from multiscreen content platforms will exceed $21 billion by 2015. "Consumers n...

IDC Canada released highlights from its third quarter of 2011 (3Q11) market assessment for the PC industry. The overall Canadian Client PC market proved to be fairly resilient with strong shipment numbers despite a negative year-over-year growth rate of -0.4 percent -- just behind the 0.7 percent growth in the U.S. and 1.3 percent growth worldwide. Total PC shipments in Canada reached 1,921,032 units in 3Q11, which is a mere 6,833 units shy of the all-time high set in Q3 2010. Portable PC market performance posted a strong 5.7 percent year-over-year growth on 1,368,432 units. Portable shipments in 3Q11 were the highest on record and just short of the total shipments for the full year 2005. Portable PC shipments in Canada made up 71.2 percent of all shipments, which is higher than the worldwide share for portable PC shipments of 64.7 percent. As expected, desktop PC shipments were down 12.7 percent year over year with only 552,600 units shipped. HP led the overall Canadian Clien...

The telecommunication services boom in the emerging markets of the Asia-Pacific is expected to continue in 2011, and will drive the total mobile subscription rate in the region to grow by more than 15 percent. According to thee latest market study by ABI Research , the mobile market in the Asia-Pacific still has the potential to grow at more than a 10 percent rate for the next two years. The smartphone market is also forecast to have healthy growth, with 24 percent share in total handset shipments in 2011 -- that's up from 17 percent in 2010. Smartphone shipments in Asia will see a significant growth of 56 percent in 2011, which indicates the growing demand for smartphones in emerging Asian markets. Smartphone shipments in Asian markets will see a boost for Android-based smartphones, with market share increasing to 52 percent in 2011, up from 16 percent in 2010. As a result, the combined market share of Samsung and HTC, the leading Android-based smartphone makers in A...