Global device sales shifting to mobile, survey finds

Global sales of electronic devices including PCs, tablets and mobile phones hit 2.4 billion units this year, with the mobile segment leading the way, a survey showed Monday.

The survey by Gartner Inc. suggests a moderation in the declining PC market, predicting that tablet sales will overtake the traditional computer by 2015.

Gartner analysts said the tablet market is cooling a bit, with growth slowing to 23.9 percent this year, around half the pace of 2013. The PC market meanwhile is seeing relative stability—with a decline expected of 2.9 percent after a 9.5 percent drop last year.

Gartner analyst Ranjit Atwal said PC sales are being helped by upgrades and replacements of aging devices.

"This year, we anticipate nearly 60 million professional PC replacements in mature markets," he said.

Atwal noted that the PC segment that is growing is the so-called "ultramobile" of premium laptop, while traditional desktop and notebook sales are lagging.

Sales of mobile phones are expected to reach 1.9 billion units in 2014, a 3.1 percent increase—with smartphones accounting for two-thirds of the total.

Taking into account all the devices, Google Android is expected to represent around half of all sales—1.16 billion, Gartner said. Windows devices will account for 333 million while Apple's iOS and MacOS will total 271 million, the report said.

© 2014 AFP