Android To Reach 1.1bn Users In 2014 – Gartner

Android will reach more than 1.1 billion users during 2014 as the total number of traditional PCs, tablets, mobile phones and ultramobile devices shipped reaches 2.5 billion – a 7.6 percent increase from 2013 – according to researchers at Gartner.

Mobile phones will account for 1.9 billion of these, however the firm notes that slowing demand for high end smartphones will intensify the battle for mid-range markets as users in emerging markets are attracted by low cost devices. It predicts that by 2017, 75 percent of Android devices will be sold in the developing world.

Android users

“The device market continues to evolve, with buyers deciding which combination of devices is required to meet their wants and needs,” says Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner. “Mobile phones are a must have and will continue to grow but at a slower pace, with opportunities moving away from the top-end premium devices to mid-end basic products.”

Ultramobiles such as tablets, hybrids and clamshells are set to enjoy growth rates of 54 percent in the next twelve months, with the tablet market alone expected to grow by 47 percent this year, as low cost devices attract first time buyers and those wanting a more portable device to complement their existing PC.

“Users continue to move away from the traditional PC (notebooks and desk-based) as it becomes more of a shared content creation tool, while the greater flexibility of tablets, hybrids and lighter notebooks address users’ increasingly different demands,” adds Atwal.

Although Gartner believes sales of traditional PCs will fall by seven percent to 278 million units in 2014, it believes rates will eventually level out as consumers purchase Windows-based ultramobiles. In a cautiously optimistic piece of good news for the industry, researchers say less than eight percent of people would replace their desktop or notebook with a tablet.

Earlier today, a separate report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech revealed Android is the most dominant mobile operating system in a number of key markets, including the UK, US and China.

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