InStat declares an end to gadget wars

By Shaun Nichols on Feb 26, 2007 7:55 AM
Filed under Hardware

New content, not hardware, drivng portable device sales.

The desire to access the latest content, not the desire to own the latest gadgets, is driving growth in portable consumer electronics such as MP3 players, DVD players and digital radio receivers, analysts with In-Stat found.

As more digital content becomes available, consumers demand new and improved ways to access this content via wired and wireless technologies.

In-Stat singled out digital radio receivers and portable learning devices for children as two areas of particular interest in the coming years.

By 2010, the analyst firm expects to see 26 million digital radio receivers and 81 million 'edutainment' products hit the street.

However, not every portable device will see large growth in the coming years. In-Stat expects what it calls "widening market penetration" to slow the growth of portable media players by 2010.