In 2011 Gartner downgraded its forecasts for PC sales repeatedly. First in December 2010 the given forecast would be around 407 million units sold, representing continued growth from 2010 (when approx. 351 m. units sold). However in total Gartner made a “hair cut” to that estimation and took out an expected 54m PC sales in nine months.
What’s interesting about these predictions was that computers sales globally peaked in 2011 and it has been down ever since. Last years sales reflect 275 millions units sold.
Note that last year (2020) we doubled the amount of internet users to 5,053 millions users, compared to the year 2011 when there where “only” 2,267 millions user. So how did the amount of users increase if the computer sales don’t reflect it?
You guest it. As the research firms probably was progressing during 2011, the mobile divces market would go viral. Computers at the time had more processing power than what they actually needed in most cases.
Making way for new products such as tablets and mobile phones to enable simpler tasks and make “mobile work” more affordable. Approximately 472 million mobile phones were sold 2011 (almost doubling from previous year) and sales peaked around 2018 with a volume around 1556 million units sold.
But new users keeps on getting connected through the use of mobile phones. Last year was not far from the peak, having around 1535 million mobile units sold. With similar volumes of mobile units sold each year, it’s not hard to understand that the users of the world wide web has grown past the computer based users.
But reflecting on the users base of “the internet”, there are more phones users than computers user. Making Android by far the most used operative system in the world, which launched 2008. Taking over the crown from Windows Operative system that was first launched 1985. But in the last two years it seems like both computer & mobile phones sales are on a upward trajectory..
Does this mean even more computers & mobile devices are poised to be sold in the future, making a new peak? What that does that entail?
New battle of the operative systems or is there a new upgrade on the horizon? More e-waste to come? Is the electronic devices risking the outcome of our current climate fight?
Stay tuned for next update. Where we will take a glimpse of the e-waste generated by electronic devices and reflect upon the ever changing IT environment.
( Volumes info source : www.statista.com )