Smartphones Outsell PC’s
February 9, 2011 | cell phones, Technology
Smartphones such as Apple’s iPhone are outselling personal computers, according to a report by research group IDC that was released Monday. Could this be the result of PC’s lasting longer or is it because we always strive for the latest hand held gadgets?
Worldwide, consumer-electronics makers shipped 100.9 million smartphones in the last three months of 2010, an 87 percent jump from a year earlier. PC shipments were weaker than expected, edging up just 3 percent, to 92.1 million.
PC sales, however, have been hurt by competition from tablet computers, namely Apple’s iPad. Although the two trends aren’t necessarily related, said IDC analyst Ramon Llamas. Smartphones and PCs serve different purposes, and consumers generally need both. PCs remain important for writing papers, editing photos and creating other kinds of content.
Smartphone sales are also getting a push from growing interest in Google Inc.’s Android software, which powers dozens of phones made by HTC Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. and others. People also tend to replace their phones much more often than they do their computers. Consumers might wait three to five years to replace computers, some of which are protected under warranties that last several years. Meanwhile, cellphone subscribers often have the option of upgrading to a newer phone well before their two-year service contracts are up.
Such incentives are becoming less common, however. Last month, Verizon Wireless said that it would phase out its early upgrade program, while Sprint Nextel Corp. said last week that it was making it more expensive for customers to upgrade ahead of schedule.
This article was written by: Ted Yapp
