Shipments of Internet-enabled consumer devices to exceed PCs in 2013

In another sign of the Internet’s transformative impact on the electronics industry, shipments of Internet-enabled consumer electronics devices will soar to exceed those of the traditional platform used for accessing the Internet—the PC—for the first time in 2013, according to a new IHS iSuppli Consumer Platforms Report from information and analysis provider IHS. Shipments of Internet-enabled consumer electronics devices, a category including a wide range of products—from televisions to video game consoles, to Blu-ray players—will surge to 503.6 million units in 2013, up from 161 million in 2010. In comparison, PC shipments during the same period will amount to 253.3 million, up from 222.3 million. In 2015, shipments of Internet-enabled consumer devices will breach three-quarters of a billion units, at 780.8 million units, massively exceeding PC shipments of 479.1 million.“These new figures are the latest evidence that the Internet is not just for PCs anymore. The Internet now is revolutionizing the consumer electronics business by delivering a range of products that can bring web-based content to homes. Increasingly, each Internet-enabled consumer electronics device is vying to become the center of what is known as the digital living room, aggregating content throughout the home and serving up movies, television programs, videos and music. In the future, consumers will be more likely to access the Internet through their televisions than via their PCs,” said Jordan Selburn, principal analyst for consumer platforms at IHS.