Shipments of Internet-connected devices will surpass those of PCs — the traditional access point of consumers with the Internet — for the first time in 2013, according to a new analysis in the latest “IHS iSuppli Consumer Platforms Report.”
Shipments of these devices, which include items such as TVs, video game consoles, media tablets and Blu-ray players, will grow to 503.6 million in 2013, up from 161 million last year. That compares with projected PC shipments of 252.3 million in 2014 and 222.3 million in 2010. By 2015, nearly 781 million Internet-connected devices will have shipped, compared to PC shipments of 479 million, according to the report.
“Increasingly, each Internet-enabled consumer electronics device is vying to become the center of what is known as the digital living room, aggregating content throughout the home and serving up movies, television programs, videos and music,” said Jordan Selburn, principal analyst for consumer platforms at IHS.
Media tablets will contribute mightily to the growth of Internet-connected device shipments. IHS iSuppli projects media tablets to be the fastest-growing segment of such devices, led by the success of the Apple iPad.
Last year, the top Internet-enabled device was game consoles with shipments of 50.5 million units followed by TVs with 40.0 million, according to the research group. This year, however, media tablets will lead all segments of Internet-connected device shipments, with a projected 61.9 million units, up 214 percent from 19.7 million last year.
