PC And Mobile Devices Set To Rise

On average, the price of PCs and phones will go up by 2 percent this year. The calculations are based on U.S. dollars and average market sizes. The prices will go up largely due to the rising prices of components. Also, more users are upgrading to more expensive and feature-rich mobile handsets.

This year is expected to big for smartphones. Samsung has launched the Galaxy S8 smartphones, and Apple is expected to launch its 10th anniversary iPhone later this year. Premium-priced smartphones will go up by roughly 4 percent.

A good barometer for mobile phone pricing is the Chinese market. Global pricing of Chinese branded smartphones will go up to RMB 2,000 (US$290) by the end of this year from RMB 1,700 (US$246) at the end of last year.

 The PC market has slowed down, and it is driven now by high-priced gaming PCs and 2-in-1s. Buyers of those PCs are willing to spend more money on their computers. Low-end laptops and desktops will remain available, but PC makers like Dell and HP are slimming down those offerings. Low-cost laptops like Chromebooks typically have aging components, little storage, low-resolution webcams, and limited memory.

Gartner estimates 426 million computing devices, including PCs and tablets, will ship this year, dropping from 439 million last year. PC shipments will total 265 million this year, dropping from 270 million last year. Shipment of tablet devices like the iPad will total 161 million, dropping from 169 million last year, the analyst group predicted.