Global Device Shipments Facing Second Consecutive Annual Drop, Says Gartner
Gartner forecast worldwide PC, tablet, "ultramobile" and mobile phone device shipments will drop for the second straight year in 2016, 3 percent to 2.4 billion units, led by mobile phone shipments. The global device market contracted 0.75 percent in 2015,…
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the researcher reported Thursday. It's "not on pace to return to single-digit growth soon," said analyst Ranjit Atwal. All product segment shipments are expected to decline in 2016, except for premium “ultramobile” basic and utility tablets and entry-level phones that are expected to show single-digit sales growth this year, said Gartner. Total mobile phone shipments are on pace for a 1.6 percent decline in 2016, said Gartner. The smartphone segment continues to grow, but the rate is lagging, with 1.5 billion units forecast for 2016. It's "reaching global saturation with phones that are increasingly capable and remain good enough for longer," said analyst Roberta Cozza. Premium smartphones will grow 3.5 percent in 2017, she said.