NEW YORK For the first time ever,smart phones such as the iPhone are outselling personal computers,according to a report by research group IDC.Worldwide,consumer electronics makers shipped 100.9 million smart phones in the last three months of 2010,an 87 per cent jump from a year earlier.PC shipments were weaker than expected,edging up just three per cent to 92.1 million.
The two trends aren't necessarily related,said IDC analyst Ramon Llamas.Smart phones and PCs serve different purposes,and consumers generally need both.PCs remain important for writing papers,editing photos and creating other kinds of content.
PC sales are,however,have been hurt by competition from tablet computers.
This is the graph which shows the growth of Smartphones in the coming year.
Meanwhile,smart phones are getting a boost from falling prices.It's not uncommon to find brand-new models on sale.Smart phone sales are also getting a push from growing interest in Google's Android software,which powers dozens of phones made by HTC,Samsung,Motorola Mobility and others.
"Android continues to gain by leaps and bounds,helping to drive the smart phone market,"Llamas said.
People also tend to replace their phones much more often than they do their computers.Consumers might wait three to five years to replace computers,some of which are protected under warranties that last several years.
The two trends aren't necessarily related,said IDC analyst Ramon Llamas.Smart phones and PCs serve different purposes,and consumers generally need both.PCs remain important for writing papers,editing photos and creating other kinds of content.
PC sales are,however,have been hurt by competition from tablet computers.
This is the graph which shows the growth of Smartphones in the coming year.
Meanwhile,smart phones are getting a boost from falling prices.It's not uncommon to find brand-new models on sale.Smart phone sales are also getting a push from growing interest in Google's Android software,which powers dozens of phones made by HTC,Samsung,Motorola Mobility and others.
"Android continues to gain by leaps and bounds,helping to drive the smart phone market,"Llamas said.
People also tend to replace their phones much more often than they do their computers.Consumers might wait three to five years to replace computers,some of which are protected under warranties that last several years.