A market that appeared headed for possible extinction is actually making a comeback, as PC sales are showing signs of life according to reports.
As the tablet market grew to incredible heights over the last few years the global PC market suffered. Device shipments in the PC market (desktops, laptops, notebooks) for 2013 showed a 9.5 percent dip. Consumer electronics research firm Gartner is now predicting that this segment will fall only 2.9 percent for 2014.
"2014 will be marked by a relative revival of the global PC market," began Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner. "Business upgrades from Windows XP and the general business replacement cycle will lessen the downward trend, especially in Western Europe. This year, we anticipate nearly 60 million professional PC replacements in mature markets."
Gartner's numbers did suggest a continued downward path for the numbers regarding the traditional PC market (desktop and notebook models) with a shipment pace that will dip 6.7 percent in 2014 and 5.3 percent in 2015. The increase in laptop shipments will help stem that decline as aforementioned overall percentage dip (2.9 percent) suggests.
Gartner's numbers also suggest that the tablet market is currently moving into the latter part of that curve in mature markets. The research firm is estimating that sales of tablets will see a slowdown this year to 256 million units, an increase of just 23.9 percent from 2013.
The apparent move away from smaller screen tablets by consumers is one of the key reasons for the slowdown in growth along with the increased interest in phablets - the smartphone/tablet hybrid products.
Gartner's Atwal adds, "The next wave of adoption will be driven by lower price points rather than superior functionality."
With the price drops, Gartner expects PC shipments to hit 316.7 million units in 2015.
Regarding the phablet market, or more specifically, the smartphone segment, Gartner claims that global mobile phone sales are expected to hit 1.9 billion units in 2014, a 3.1 percent increase from 2013. Sales of smartphones actually represented the majority of all mobile phones sales for the first time ever in 2013 (51%), will continue to rise, hitting an estimated 88 percent of the total mobile phone market by 2018, according to Gartner.
As growth in both the smartphone and tablet market matures in many of the established markets, both businesses and consumers will begin turning their attention to PCs, and more specifically laptops beginning next year.
