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 Back to 2006 Press Releases
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Gartner Says Worldwide PDA Shipments Reach Record Level in 2005 |
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| PDA Shipments of 14.9 Million Units in 2005 Tops Previous Mark Set in 2001 |
STAMFORD, Conn., February 14, 2006 — Worldwide personal digital assistant (PDA) shipments totaled a record 14.9 million units in 2005, a 19 percent increase from 2004, according to Gartner, Inc. The 2005 results topped the previous record of 13.2 million PDAs shipped worldwide in 2001.
Research In Motion (RIM) became the No. 1 PDA vendor based on worldwide shipments in 2005 (see Table 1) as it accounted for 21.4 percent of total shipments. Its shipments in 2005 increased 47 percent from 2004. These results do not include an estimated 858,000 BlackBerry smartphones shipped in 2005, which Gartner classifies separately because of their voice-centric design.
"RIM does not appear to be losing much momentum despite its legal problems and the threat of an injunction," said Todd Kort, principal analyst in Gartner's Computing Platforms Worldwide group. "Generally, BlackBerry users are staying put because of the high cost of switching, lack of suitable alternative devices, and the low probability of BlackBerry service being shut down."
Table 1
Worldwide: Preliminary PDA Vendor Shipment Estimates, 2005 (Units)
| Company |
2005 Shipments |
2005 Market Share (%) |
2004 Shipments |
2004 Market Share (%) |
2004- 2005 Growth (%) |
| Research In Motion |
3,193,000 |
21.4 |
2,178,000 |
17.4 |
46.6 |
| Palm |
2,773,025 |
18.6 |
3,726,172 |
29.8 |
-25.6 |
| Hewlett-Packard |
2,264,666 |
15.2 |
2,668,627 |
21.3 |
-15.1 |
| Nokia |
1,010,000 |
6.8 |
250,000 |
2.0 |
304.0 |
| T-Mobile |
812,600 |
5.5 |
191,400 |
1.5 |
324.6 |
| Others |
4,839,701 |
32.5 |
3,499,314 |
28.0 |
38.3 |
| Total |
14,892,992 |
100.0 |
12,513,513 |
100.0 |
19.0 |
Notes: Totals do not include smartphones, such as the Treo 650 and BlackBerry 7100, but include wireless PDAs, such as the iPAQ 65xx and BlackBerry 8700.
Source: Gartner Dataquest (February 2006)
Palm shipped 2.77 million PDAs in 2005, down 25 percent from 2004 shipments. These results exclude Palm's Treo smartphone shipments of 1.95 million units in 2005.
Palm regained the PDA market lead in the fourth quarter of 2005 with 1.04 million units shipped, reflecting the traditionally strong consumer PDA sales associated with the holiday season. "Consumer sales in the fourth quarter enabled Palm to surpass RIM and HP, but we expect RIM will recapture the lead in the first quarter of 2006 as consumer PDA purchases subside," Mr. Kort said. "Palm's PDA sales are being cannibalized by its Treo smartphones, which are expected to surpass Palm's PDA shipments in 2006."
Table
Worldwide: Preliminary PDA Vendor Shipment Estimates, 4Q05 (Units)
| Company |
4Q05 Shipments |
4Q05 Market Share (%) |
4Q04 Shipments |
4Q04 Market Share (%) |
4Q04 - 4Q05 Growth (%) |
| Palm |
1,037,680 |
23.5 |
1,226,525 |
29.9 |
-15.4 |
| Research In Motion |
780,000 |
17.7 |
698.000 |
17.0 |
11.7 |
| Hewlett-Packard |
660,463 |
15.0 |
869,000 |
21.1 |
-24.0 |
| T-Mobile |
305,000 |
6.9 |
96,000 |
2.3 |
217.7 |
| Mio Technology |
220,214 |
5.0 |
83,645 |
2.0 |
163.3 |
| Others |
1,405,569 |
31.9 |
1,135,788 |
27.6 |
23.8 |
| Total |
4,408,926 |
100.0 |
4,108,958 |
100.0 |
7.3 |
Notes: Totals do not include smartphones, such as the Treo 650 and BlackBerry 7100, but include wireless PDAs, such as the iPAQ 65xx and BlackBerry 8700.
Source: Gartner Dataquest (February 2006)
Microsoft Windows CE was the No. 1 PDA operating system (OS) in 2005 as 7.05 million PDAs were loaded with the OS, up 33 percent from 2004 shipments of 5.28 million units. Palm OS PDA shipments declined 34 percent to 2.96 million units in 2005.
Gartner defines a PDA as a data-centric handheld computer weighing less than one pound that is primarily designed for use with both hands. These devices use an open market operating system supported by third-party applications that can be added into the device by end users. They offer instant on/off capability and synchronization of files with a PC. A PDA may offer WAN support for voice, but these are data-first, voice-second devices.
Additional information is available in the Gartner report "Dataquest Alert: Record 14.9 Million PDAs Shipped in 2005, Up 19 Percent Over 2004." The report is available on Gartner's Web site at http://www.gartner.com/DisplayDocument?ref=g_search&id=488746.
Additional information on the handheld market and current trends in mobile and wireless technologies will be presented at the Gartner Wireless & Mobile Summit 2006 to be held March 27-29 in Detroit, Michigan. The Gartner Wireless & Mobile Summit is the key event for IT professionals looking for best practices to increase ROI on wireless investments, insights on the future of wireless and unbiased perspectives on devices, systems, integration and the latest trends. This three-day forum provides the critical information necessary to make the best choices to reduce costs, while maximizing current and new mobile initiatives. In addition, many of the 40-plus content sessions will feature end user case studies which will provide proven best practices on moving ahead with wireless and mobile implementations and deployments. For complete event details, please visit the Gartner Wireless & Mobile Summit Web site at http://www.gartner.com/us/wireless. Members of the media can register by contacting Christy Pettey at christy.pettey@gartner.com.
CONTACTS:
Christy Pettey
Gartner
(408) 468-8312
christy.pettey@gartner.com
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About Gartner:
Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) delivers the technology-related insight necessary for its clients to make the right decisions, every day. Gartner serves 10,000 organizations, including chief information officers and other senior IT executives in corporations and government agencies, as well as technology companies and the investment community. The Company consists of Gartner Research, Gartner Executive Programs, Gartner Consulting and Gartner Events. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A., and has 3,900 associates, including 1,200 research analysts and consultants in 75 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.gartner.com.
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