PDA-Phones To Spur Worldwide PDA Proliferation
January 14, 2002 - After rapid growth in the last five years, the PDA market growth rate slowed significantly in 2001-especially in the USA. The recession is likely to spread across the world in 2002, which will keep the PDA growth rate well below the growth rates in the late 1990s. But help is on the way in the form of PDA-Phones, which will see explosive growth in the next five years. A PDA-Phone, which is a web cell phone with PDA functionality, will grow from only 0.2M+ units in 2000 to nearly 19M units in 2007 for a compound annual growth rate of 87.5%.
Total worldwide PDA sales will increase to over 61M in 2007 from 12M devices in 2000. The capabilities of the PDA will improve impressively by 2007 and it will become a multifunction device with built-in Internet access, digital camera, music player, scanner and other functionality. The hardware capabilities of the typical 2007 PDA will be similar to the 2001 low-end PC.
| Worldwide PDA Unit Sales |
2000
|
2001
|
2003
|
2005
|
2007
|
| Keyboard PDAs (#K) |
2,885
|
3,210
|
4,390
|
6,375
|
9,825
|
| Pen PDAs (#K) |
9,060
|
12,490
|
20,255
|
27,088
|
32,835
|
| Phone-PDAs
(#K) |
230
|
675
|
3,845
|
10,062
|
18,710
|
| Worldwide PDA Sales (#K) |
12,175
|
16,375
|
28,490
|
43,525
|
61,370
|
| USA PDA Unit Sales |
2000
|
2001
|
2003
|
2005
|
2007
|
| Keyboard PDAs (#K) |
630
|
644
|
969
|
1,646
|
2,640
|
| Pen
PDAs (#K) |
4,910
|
5,950
|
8,831
|
11,133
|
12,980
|
| Phone-PDAs
(#K) |
negl.
|
46
|
970
|
2,901
|
5,490
|
| USA
PDA Sales (#K) |
5,540
|
6,640
|
10,770
|
15,680
|
21,110
|
"Phone-PDA growth will follow the growth of 2.5G and 3G cellular networks because they need always-on packet networks to be useful", says Dr. Egil Juliussen, the author of the report. "Phone-PDAs have shown early success in Europe and the market is likely to grow strongly in 2002 and 2003 in the USA and parts of Asia".
More information is available in "Worldwide PDA Markets", a market research report by Computer Industry Almanac Inc. The report explores product segments, software platforms, technology trends and market opportunities for PDAs.
Computer Industry Almanac publishes market research reports for the PC, PDA information appliances and Internet industries. For more information see Market Research Reports.
