Tablet shipments will surpass PCs for the first time in Q4 this year

　　IDC data shows that tablet shipments will reach 84.1 million units in the fourth quarter, while PC shipments will be 83.1 million units in the same period. At the same time, it is expected that PC sales will fall by 10% this year. In response, IDC said that as the market for smartphones and tablets matures, low-priced products in this field are becoming more popular. Smartphones and tablets priced below $350 account for 68% of all connected device shipments.

　　PC sales are expected to fall 10% this year, with smartphones and tablets making up for the decline. The shift to mobile devices has created new winners and losers in the tech industry. Apple, Google and Samsung are the main beneficiaries, while companies that rely on the PC market, such as HP, Microsoft and Intel, have been adversely affected and their revenue growth has stagnated.
 

　　IDC also said that as the smartphone and tablet market matures, lower-priced products are becoming more popular. Smartphones and tablets priced below $350 will account for 68% of all connected device shipments this year. The average selling price of such devices will drop from $462 last year to $323 in 2017.

　　For the full year 2013, IDC predicts that global tablet shipments will reach 227.3 million units, accounting for 14.6% of the global connected device market. Laptop and desktop shipments will reach 315.3 million units, accounting for 20.2% of the market. However, by 2017, tablet shipments are expected to reach 406.8 million units, accounting for 16.5% of the total market, and PC shipments will reach 319.71 million units, accounting for 13%. In 2013, the total market size of connected devices, including desktop computers, laptops, smartphones and tablets, increased by 28% to $622.4 billion, and will reach $735.1 billion by the end of 2015.