The past few years have been huge for smart devices, with smartphones, tablets and laptops all continuing to explode in popularity. The International Data Corporation (IDC) is reporting that third quarter 2012 sales of smart connected devices are a whole 27 percent higher than they were in third quarter 2011, with 303.6 million devices shipped for a value of over $140 billion.
Fourth quarter of this year will mean even more device sales, with an anticipated 362 million units shipped, marking a 26.5 percent increase over last year’s fourth quarter. These numbers are expected to be driven by the smartphone and tablet markets, which are expected to grow each year by 39.5 percent and 55.8 percent respectively. PCs, however, are expected to see a slight drop in this year’s numbers. While in 2011 PCs made up 39 percent of the smart connected device market, these numbers are expected to plummet to 20 percent by 2016.
Apple and Samsung are leading the charge in sales, with Samsung holding top market share at 22 percent of all devices and Apple following behind at 15 percent. Apple, however, easily beats out their Korean competitor when it comes to the average selling price of each device, with Apple averaging at $744 per device and Samsung at $310 per device.
Some people have been speculating that Apple has reached its peak in popularity. With these increasing sales numbers, the California based company is going to have to make some serious mistakes in order to stop their growth.
