Global device sales to rise 2% to 2.35 bln units in 2018 – study

Global shipments of PCs, tablets and smartphones are set to increase by 2.0 percent to 2.35 billion in 2018, the highest annual growth since 2015, according to the latest data from Gartner. Total device shipments are set to fall to 2.307 billion units this year, from 2.332 billion in 2016, before rising again to 2.352 billion next year and 2.361 billion in 2019.
 
Mobile phone shipments are expected to return to year-on-year growth in 2018, with shipments totaling 1.9 billion units, up 2.4 percent year on year. Smartphones will represent 86 percent of total mobile phone shipments in 2018, up 6 percent from 2017, led by sales of Apple's iPhone X in North America, China and Western Europe, said Gartner. The report added that component shortages could lead to the inability to meet smartphone demand in the fourth quarter of 2017, further favouring unit sales moving into 2018.
 
Shipments for traditional PCs (desk-based and notebook) will fall to 204 million this year from 220 million in 2016, and another 4.4 percent year on year to 195 million in 2018 and 188 million in 2019. However, business PC shipments are estimated to return to growth by the end of 2017, driven by faster Windows 10 replacement in many regions, especially in Western Europe.
 
In addition, sales of premium ultramobile devices are set to continue climbing from 50 million to 59 million this year, and from 70 million in 2018 to 81 million the following year. By contrast, basic and utility ultramobiles will see shipments dip this year to 162 million form 169 million last year, and further down to 161 million in 2018 and 160 million in 2019.

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