Holiday Shoppers Expected to Snap Up Tablets
Mobile connectivity is still going strong, based on new market data from the International Data Corporation (IDC).
More and more people are expected to unwrap tablets this holiday season, which will help push shipments of smart connected devices - PCs, tablets, and smartphones - to record levels, according to IDC.
"Holiday season growth will be driven by tablets and smartphones," IDC said this week. Tablet shipments are expected to jump 55.8 percent compared to last year, while smartphones will be up 39.5 percent. PCs, however, will likely "decline slightly," IDC said.
IDC didn't break out which gadgets will be in your stocking this year, but Samsung and Apple dominated the third quarter. Samsung had 21.8 percent of the smart connected device market, followed by Apple with 15.1 percent.
"The battle between Samsung and Apple at the top of the smart connected device space is stronger than ever," Ryan Reith, program director of IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers, said in a statement.
Coming in behind Samsung and Apple was Lenovo with 7 percent of the market, HP with 4.6 percent, and Sony at 3.6 percent.
Though this may be the multi-device era, PC sales have suffered from the expanse of tablet, "phablet," and smartphone options, according to IDC, which pointed to a continuing drop in shipments within the next four years. Desktops and laptops accounted for about 39 percent of 2011's market, but will likely drop to less than 20 percent by 2016, when more reasonably priced smartphones and tablets will drive the market.
The need for mobile connectivity shows no signs of slowing, IDC said, pointing to a predicted 2.1 billion units shipped in 2016, with a total market value of $796.7 billion worldwide.