Report: Worldwide device market declines 39.3%

According to a recent report from IDC, the worldwide handheld device market has posted its 15th consecutive decline in quarterly shipments: Vendors shipped 728,894 handheld devices in the third quarter, about 1.5 percent more than the previous quarter but 39.3 percent less from the same quarter last year. 

"However, the handheld device market may be down, but is not necessarily out," said Ramon T. Llamas, research analyst with IDC's Mobile Device Technology and Trends team. "The handheld still has a loyal, if shrinking, following in developed economies, especially among enterprise users. In emerging markets, the appeal of the handheld devices seems anchored in the fact that, in the absence of a monthly service plan, it has a lower total cost of ownership compared to mobile phones and/or the converged mobile device."

For more on the market, including which device makers are in the lead:
- read the full press release