Handheld Sales to Increase 13% this Year
The market research company IDC has released a report predicting that 2002 worldwide handheld shipments will increase 13% over 2001. Last year, 14.6 million handhelds were shipped worldwide. If IDC is correct, the total for this year will be 16.5 million. The company goes on to predict that annual handheld shipments will keep increasing, until by 2006 it will reach 31.6 million.
According to IDC, 3.25 million handhelds were shipped worldwide during the first three months of this year. While that's doesn't appear to be on a pace to reach IDC's prediction of 16.5 million, winter is typically the slowest time of the year for handheld shipments.
The company also predicted handheld sales will pick up later in the year as the world economy continues its recovery. A recovery in the U.S. is especially important, where more than half of all handhelds are sold.
IDC's report also indicated that growth in the handheld market will be steady but not coming close to matching the incredible growth rates during the Tech Boom, when, for example, Palm's sales more than doubled every year. IDC sees worldwide handheld shipments increasing below 20% annually.
In early April, Gartner Dataquest, a rival research firm, predicted that handheld shipments this year would be 15.5 million.
Thanks to Larry for the tip. -Ed
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RE: wtf cares what IDC thinks?
Corporations that develop new products are who this is aimed at. They want tp know what is going to happen in the future so that they can develop prodeucts to take advantage of the markets that will exist.
To a lesser extent, the numbers are also useful to large corporate entities tasked with planning deployment and support strategies.
RE: wtf cares what IDC thinks?
A Real Prediction
Sony has big plans for the Clie line. It will be everyone's Game Boy, Laptop, Camera, Phone, portable TV, and primary computer. The cheap mono ones will sell for as little as $50 and will replace your kids calculator and diary. The color ones will merge to do everything you want to do with an electronic gadget in your pocket.
IDC will continue to get looks at future products and continue to make flawed predictions about what will sell.
RE: A Real Prediction
Depending on when OS 5 comes out, I think it will be somewhat of a disappointment. Also, the prices, I assume, will be in the high-end so will not do too much to increase sales. I do see people jumping ship to PPC with the new low MSRP of the ultra-thin Toshiba e310 (thin as m515 and better battery life) more so than last year. But, Palm will still rule the roost with its entry-level lineup and continue to demonstrate how important mindshare is in business. It IS eroding though. You can only compete with Microsoft for so long...
RE: A Real Prediction
Compaq and HP both wanted this to happen because they were losing money on it, especially HP. They couldn't drop it because Microsoft threatened their Windows contracts whenever they tried. Now that they are HPC, the handheld division is hanging by a thread. HP's board thinks handhelds are a giant waste of time and money.
Expect PocketPC to be gone by this time next year.
RE: A Real Prediction
RE: A Real Predic...er, Idiot!
Our resident Sony troll is baaaaaaaaaack. 2 million? Get over that. Sonys are nice, but please.
>>I do see people jumping ship to PPC with the new low MSRP of the ultra-thin Toshiba e310 (thin as m515 and better battery life) more so than last year. <<
Oh, please. The new Toshiba is basically as thin as an m515, but it's also still BIGGER (h & w). The surface area combined with the thinness actually makes it more awkward to use. They should've borrowed from the Sony N series. As for battery life, better than what? Than the miserable PPC? Well, duh. The Toshiba's battery life still doesn't equal the m515, and I would suggest that the OS5 models will show further improved battery life.
RE: A Real Prediction
I love this guy.
He knows it all. He even goes to work and post remotely as I.M. Anonymous to bolster his posts.
-Timothy Rapson- not signed in.
But, who would have predicted 10 years ago that Nintendo would be playing catchup to Sony along with Microsoft? My guess is that Sony can make T615Cs for half of what Toshiba can make e310s for. Factor that in.
RE: A Real Prediction
It wouldn't be hard to imagine they create $40 Palm model just to expand their Memory stick market.
If my experience is anything to go by...
Happy Palming!
PalmOS5?
RE: PalmOS5?
As a note, I think most significant features to consumer would be audio, speed, better file system, while disapointment lies on hardware independent screen size, no multi tasking, and weak GUI tune up.
Competition would also be very tough from PPC, since it would start price war around the same time, a boon to consumer. Watch out for under $499 all included PDA coming this December.
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wtf cares what IDC thinks?