Smartphone shipments to top 1 billion in 2013
As consumer electronics giants Apple (AAPL) and Samsung (005930) continue to dominate the smartphone industry, two new milestones are expected to be reached this year. According to well-known accounting and consulting firm Deloitte, global smartphone shipments will exceed 1 billion units in 2013 as the total smartphone installed base tops 2 billion.
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The firm defines a smartphone as “any device perceived by consumers as being a smartphone,” so the figure likely includes Nokia’s (NOK) Asha line and similar devices.
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Other predictions from Deloitte for the coming year include increased popularity of authentication methods beyond passwords, big 4G LTE adoption with a subscription base that tops 200 million, and the continued dominance of PCs, which will account for more than 80% of Internet traffic this year despite momentum in the tablet market.
Deloitte’s full press release follows below.
Deloitte TMT Predictions 2013: End of password-only security, 1 billion smartphones to ship and PC usage will thrive
Deloitte also predicts existing broadcasters and distributors to dominate over-the-top services
NEW YORK, Jan. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ – Deloitte predicts more than 90 percent of user-generated passwords will be vulnerable to hacking in a matter of seconds, according to the Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) Predictions 2013 report released today. The Deloitte report also counters current thinking, predicting that existing broadcasters will continue to deliver the majority of over-the-top services and 4K televisions won’t disrupt the marketplace just yet.
Deloitte also predicts that global shipments of smartphones will likely exceed one billion units for the first time in 2013 and the install base of smartphones will be close to two billion devices by the end of the year. At the same time, Long Term Evolution (LTE) adoption will continue to increase with more than 200 operators in 75 countries launching LTE networks by the end of 2013 and LTE subscriptions should exceed 200 million, a 17-fold increase in just two years.
“This year’s predictions cover a range of topics, highlighting the continued dominance of the personal computer (PC), developments around crowdfunding portals, access to data, and smartphones,” said Eric Openshaw, vice chairman and U.S. technology, media and telecommunications leader, Deloitte LLP. “Organizations have to carefully consider new ways that consumers receive information and entertainment both at home and on-the-go, and employ strategies that create an incredible customer experience and innovative products amid persistent economic uncertainty.”
For more than a decade, Deloitte’s TMT Predictions have forecasted many of the most influential trends in technology, media and telecommunications — making them a key source of market intelligence for businesses in all sectors.
The most significant TMT predictions to impact the marketplace in 2013:
Full details about the global TMT Predictions are available here: http://www.deloitte.com/Predictions2013.
This article was originally published on BGR.com
