Consumer indecision on device replacements is set to slow worldwide shipments of PCs, Tablets, ultramobiles and mobile phones in 2015, according to a new forecast from Gartner.
According to the IT research and advisory company, device shipments are expected to drop one percent year over year to 2.4 billion units in 2015. The forecast also marks a drop from a previous prediction of 1.5 percent growth, Gartner said in the report.
“Replacement activity across all types of devices has decreased,” said Gartner research director Ranjit Atwal. “Users are extending the lifetime of their devices, or deciding not to replace their devices at all.”
All segments are expected to contract overall except mobile phones, which are still on pace to increase 1.4 percent this year, the forecast said. Particular growth is expected in emerging Asia and Pacific markets, including India and Indonesia. By 2017, smartphones are forecast to account for 89 percent of the total device market, with a total of 2 billion units shipped.
