IE 11 Not Supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

PDA Market Faces Steep Decline

The traditional PDA is nearing the end of its life as a major product segment, says a research firm

The traditional PDA is heading for significant declines in sales, and in fact is nearing the end of its life as a major product segment, according to In-Stat.

Shipments reached only 8.7 million units in 2004, down from 10 million in 2003, the high-tech market research firm says. The outlook for upcoming years is not good, as the PDA market will have a negative Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of -21.5% during the 2004-2009 period.

By 2009, it is expected that this segment will be composed of devices designed for specific vertical markets and low-end products. The market decline will occur as users switch to other products, such as smartphones and portable media players, a natural evolution of the category.

In-Stat has also found that:
  • Manufacturers will introduce more corporate-focused and niche-focused devices, such as those incorporating GPS, this year.

  • Intel's XScale processors continue to be the most popular; however, most manufacturers are using processors from several vendors across their product lines.

  • Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular wireless devices will be offered by more traditional PDA vendors as they look to compete in the smartphone market.

  • By the end of 2005 there will be significant price reductions and more stylishly designed smartphones, thus attracting more users from PDAs to this category.
Sign up for GovTech Today

Delivered daily to your inbox to stay on top of the latest state & local government technology trends.