Global sales of so-called smart connected devices - computers, smartphones and tablets - rose sharply in the past quarter, driven by smartphones and tablets, a survey showed on September 26. The IDC report said shipment reached 267.3 million units in the second quarter, a 27.4 percent increase year-over-year and a 2.8 percent rise from the prior quarter.
On a revenue basis, the total was $131.5 billion world-wide, up 16 percent from a year ago but down 2.7 percent from the past quarter.
IDC projects a growth rate of 14 percent for the devices through 2016. Smartphones already represent over 59 percent of the category and will grow to 63 percent in four years.
IDC says the world-wide total unit shipments for smart connected devices will reach nearly 1.2 billion in 2012, and top two billion units in 2016.