Global device shipments to exceed 2.35 bn in 2018

“Our latest online end-user survey shows that users depend just as much on PCs or tablets as they do on smartphones,” said Ranjit Atwal, Research Director at Gartner. 

Forty per cent respondents said that they use mostly a PC/tablet for certain daily experiences, such as reading and writing emails or watching videos, while 34 pc mostly use a smartphone for its convenience while on the move.

“Users holding onto their PCs for longer remains a major issue for the PC market. In contrast, users continue to replace their smartphone quite frequently,” Atwal added. Driven by faster Windows 10 replacement in many regions, especially in western Europe, business PC shipments are projected see growth by the end of 2017.  

“Despite prices rising due to higher component costs, Windows 10 replacements have kept the PC market relatively stable through 2017. We estimate that the PC market (desk-based, notebook and ultra mobiles) is set to return to 0.8 percent growth in 2018,” said Atwal. 

With shipments totalling 1.9 billion units, mobile phone sales are expected to return to YoY growth in 2018.