Portable Entertainment Devices Continue to Proliferate

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The weak economy is taking its toll across most consumer markets. Electronics are no exception. Yet even the weak economy can’t overcome a broader migration to mobile and portable devices, as indicated by the proliferation of portable electronics categories. Portable electronics device shipments will grow more than 10% in 2009 versus 2008 according to market research firm, In-Stat.

The category, which includes digital radio receivers, e-readers, edutainment toys, handheld game consoles, MP3 players, portable media players (PMPs), and personal navigation devices (PNDs), is expanding to over 400 million units in 2009. By 2013, it will approach 600 million units. While some segments, such as handheld game consoles and MP3 players, have hit maturity and peaked, other segments continue to emerge.

“We’re seeing significant growth in the e-reader segment, as it evolves from a nascent market,” says Stephanie Ethier, In-Stat analyst. “And while MP3 players have peaked, this represents more of a migration to video-capable devices, as shipments of PMPs continue to expand.”

Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

  • Shipments of portable entertainment devices in Europe will be 157 million units in 2013. Shipments to Japan will be 58 million.
  • Worldwide unit shipments for PNDs will reach approximately 56 million units in 2012.
  • Total worldwide shipments of PMP & MP3 players will reach 225 million in 2009, with Asia-Pacific representing the largest geographic market.
  • Worldwide e-reader shipments are expected to grow from almost 1 million units in 2008 to nearly 30 million units in 2013.

Recent In-Stat research, Portable Entertainment Device Tracker (#IN0904510ID), provides a worldwide view of the market size and forecasts for a variety of portable consumer electronic (CE) devices popular today. It includes:

  • Shipment forecasts of digital radio receivers, e-readers, edutainment toys, handheld game consoles, MP3 players, PMPs and PNDs.
  • Forecast segmentation of each portable entertainment device category by geographic region, including North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East Africa, China, India, Japan, and Rest-of-Asia Pacific.
  • Further regional segmentation by country for each portable entertainment device category.
  • Product is delivered in a Microsoft Excel pivot table format for customizable data analysis.

This research is part of In-Stat’s Portable Entertainment Devices service, which provides comprehensive analysis of the market for the hottest portable consumer electronic devices, such as portable media players, handheld games, and personal navigation devices, and coverage of emerging devices, such as electronic books, digital radio, and electronic edutainment toys. The service also provides insight into the technologies, consumer requirements, and business models driving current and future demand.