Multi-Device Ecosystems to Drive Smart Device Growth to 3B by 2023: Canalys

Vendors will ship over 3 billion smart devices globally in 2023 -- including smartphones, PCs, tablets, wearables, smart speakers and personal audio devices -- up from 2.4 billion last year, said Canalys Wednesday, citing the expansion of “ambient computing.” Newer categories, such as smart personal audio devices, wearable bands and smart speakers, form multiple touch points that complete intelligent ecosystems for consumers on the move, at work or at home, said analyst Jason Low. Smartphones will remain the most important category, though vendors face challenging conditions despite 5G and new form factors, said Low. Smart personal audio will be the fastest growing category this year, up 32.1 percent to 490 million. Smart speakers continue to expand, rising 21.7 percent to 150 million, followed by wearables, up 11.8 percent.