shipments

Windows 8 tablets hit 3 million shipped in first quarter

Microsoft and its partners have cracked the tablet market, according to a report from Strategy Analytics.

Windows 8 tablets (which include Windows RT) took 7.5 percent of the global tablet market based on operating system (OS) market share in the first quarter, Strategy Analytics said.

PC makers (including Microsoft) shipped 3.4 million units worldwide in Q1 2013, "for a niche 7.5 percent share," Neil Shah, a Strategy Analytics analyst, said in a response to an e-mail query.

But the market research firm said things could have been better.

"Very limited distribution, a shortage of … Read more

As Galaxy screen grows, Surface may shrink

CNET Update believes all Google accounts go to Heaven:

There's quite a bit of movement in Thursday's tech news roundup. Samsung pushes pocket limits with a new smartphone that boasts a 6.3-inch screen. Microsoft is expected to shrink the Surface for the popular 7-inch mini-tablet market. And the poor PC market has fallen to a record low, and the fingers point to Windows 8.

And what about wearable computers? The first units of Google Glass will be shipping within the next month. A group of investment firms -- called the Glass Collective -- are funding companies that … Read more

Haswell chip notebooks won't save PC sales, says analyst

PC sales are in the dumps, and not even a promising new chip from Intel may be enough to revive them, believes J.P Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz.

The computer industry took it on the chin yesterday after both IDC and Gartner revealed that first-quarter shipments reached their lowest point in years. IDC fingered Windows 8 for failing to pump up PC sales but also blamed the weak economy and consumer demand for smartphones and tablets.

PC makers have been awaiting the arrival of Intel's new Haswell chip, which promises higher performance and lower power consumption. As such, the … Read more

Apple's Q1 Mac numbers were either very good, or terrible

Apple had either a very solid first calendar quarter of Mac shipments in the U.S., or one that was quite bad, depending on who you listen to.

A dueling pair of PC shipment reports from market trackers IDC and Gartner put Apple's Mac numbers in the U.S. at odds. IDC says Apple's shipments in the first three months of the year were down 7.5 percent from the same quarter last year. Gartner, on the other hand, says Apple's Mac shipments were up 7.4 percent.

So who's right? We'll know when Apple … Read more

Apple to slash iPad Mini shipments, claims report

Apple will reportedly trim iPad Mini shipments for the next quarter, according to tech-news site DigiTimes.

Citing industry sources who provide parts for the tablet," Taiwan-based DigiTimes claims that iPad Mini shipments for the second quarter will fall to between 10 million and 12 million units. The cut may be as high as 20 percent in April and then decline slightly throughout the rest of the quarter, the sources said.

DigiTimes' sources further claim that Apple recently adjusted this year's shipment estimates for the iPad and iPad Mini to 33 million and 55 million, respectively.

If the claims … Read more

LCD TV shipments down slightly; plasmas fall off cliff in 2012

For the first time ever, LCD television shipments were down in 2012.

During 2012, 203 million LCD TVs shipped worldwide, according to NPD DisplaySearch, representing a 1 percent decline compared to the prior year. The fourth quarter was the only period that saw shipments rise year over year, but it could only muster a 0.6 percent gain.

The LCD market's troubles came in developed markets, where demand fell by 18 percent compared to 2011, according to NPD. Demand was down, the researcher said, because of a continuing weakness in the global economy, as well as very little price … Read more

Tablets rising: Apple No.1, Samsung No. 4 'PC makers'

Market researcher Canalys has again put Apple in top spot among PC makers with an overwhelming 20 percent market share.

Apple shipped 27 million units in the fourth quarter, while HP and Lenovo both shipped around 15 million (HP slightly more than Lenovo), putting them in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively.

Samsung is also on the rise: it made an appearance in the top five for the first time, pushing Dell out of fourth place.

All of this is possible because Canalys counts "pads," i.e., tablets, as PCs -- not a ludicrous concept considering … Read more

Microsoft Surface sales well below shipments, says iSuppli

Sales of Microsoft's first Surface tablet fell well short of the 1 million mark, while return rates were high, IHS iSuppli told CNET.

Shipments of the Surface RT device, which debuted last quarter, into the channel were about 1.25 million, but sales out of the channel "were significantly lower, maybe on the order of 55 to 60 percent of that figure," said Rhoda Alexander, an analyst at iSuppli, citing the market research firm's estimates.

That would put sales in the range of between roughly 680,000 and 750,000 based on those percentages.

That kind … Read more

Samsung reigns with 30% of Q4 smartphone shipments

Samsung was the clear leader in the smartphone market last quarter, according to new data from Juniper Research.

The research firm today reported that Samsung shipped 63 million smartphones in the fourth quarter, accounting for 30 percent of all shipments worldwide during the period. Apple came in second with 47.8 million sold. Most companies report shipments into the retail channel. Apple, however, reports total sales, which is why Juniper was forced to interchange those measures.

Apple and Samsung have easily separated themselves from the rest of the mobile pack. Nokia was only able to ship 6.6 million smartphones … Read more

Samsung, Apple dominate as 700M smartphones ship in 2012

A record 700 million smartphones shipped last year, with Samsung and Apple together accounting for half the market, according to new research released today.

While global smartphone shipments increased 490.5 million units over 2011, the 43 percent growth rate slowed in comparison to 2011's growth rate of 64 percent over 2010, according to market researcher Strategy Analytics. The research blamed saturation in North America and Western Europe for the slower growth.

"Large marketing budgets, extensive distribution channels, and attractive product portfolios have enabled Samsung and Apple to tighten their grip on the smartphone industry," the market … Read more