Scottsdale, AZ--According to Cahners In-Stat/MDR, global shipments of PDAs grew 17% in 2001 despite a weak global economy and continuing erosion of U.S. consumer confidence. Total shipments reached 8 million units for the year. That number represents a significant slowdown in growth from the previous year.
"Key PDA market drivers for the coming years will be more robust devices with newer and more reliable applications, backed by better wireless data and phone networks; wider use of Bluetooth and other short-range wireless technologies; and lower unit prices," said Neil Strother, a senior wireless handset analyst with In-Stat/MDR. "Shipments in 2002 for PDAs will increase about 18% as new manufacturers enter the market and a wave of wireless functionality takes hold in a big way. The future will be all about making the PDA a more ubiquitous device and more useful to both the mobile business user and the on-the-go consumer."
In-Stat/MDR has also found that:
--The three major customer segments for PDAs are consumer, mobile professionals and enterprise.
--The global long-term market forecast for PDAs is solid, with annual growth through 2005 in the double-digit range, peaking in about 2004 at 30%, and then tapering off in 2005.
--The current OS leader among PDAs is clearly Palm followed by Pocket PC and Windows CE.
The report, "Getting a Grip on PDAs: Analysis of the Personal Digital Assistant Market, Segmentation and Forecasts," covers the vendor side of the global PDA market in addition to existing and emerging technologies.
