Ultra Mobile Devices Forecast To Be A Hit
Ultra Mobile Devices Forecast To Be A Hit
28th October , 2009
US : UMPCs ( Ultra Mobile PCs ), MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices) and netbooks – collectively known as UMDs (Ultra Mobile Devices ) are forecast to hit sales of three hundred and eighty five million units in 2014. The forecast is from ABI Research who report that diversity of form factors and device types we see today will likely continue as vendors look to meet each audience’s unique preferences.
One can also expect the line distinguishing MIDs from smartphones to blur as MIDs add voice: Nokia has equipped its latest “Internet Tablet,” the model N900, with cellular voice capabilities, for example.
Pocketable MIDs remain a far more interesting product segment to watch, says Orr, as the market is still emerging. While the most common product design remains the tablet form, competing form factors such as models with slider keyboards, clamshells and touch-screen-only interfaces are gaining in popularity. “However, there is a danger that the MID market will disappear before it gets the chance to mature, as smartphones increase in popularity and mimic most if not all tasks performed by MIDs.”
ABI Research’s “Mobile Internet Devices Product Database” tracks netbook, UMPC and MID announcements from all major vendors. The database includes information about these products' availability and feature sets. It also specifically tracks the air interface technologies these devices use to access the Internet.
“Consumers and business buyers are only recently accustomed to the netbook feature set,” says senior analyst Jeff Orr ( inset ). “Regardless of vendor, the majority of today’s netbooks ship with Intel processors and Windows XP into developed markets.” As uptake continues, developing markets will become the larger opportunity leveraging both ARM-based processors and Linux operating systems. The premium netbook category will also be established, offering larger screens and greater choices in connectivity solutions. Given little distinction today in feature-set and a relatively small price band, brands are differentiating themselves on aesthetics and build quality.
It is a component of the Netbooks, MIDs and Mobile CE Research Service, which also includes Research Reports, Research Briefs, other Market Data products, ABI Insights, ABI Vendor Matrices, and analyst inquiry support.
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