According to Gartner, the worldwide market for mobile devices with touchscreens will grow over 97% this year. Last year, consumers bought 184 million devices with touchscreens. Gartner predicts that this market will surpass 362 million units this year. By 2013, Gartner predicts, touchscreen mobile devices will account for 80% of all sales in North America and Europe. Once the domain of high-end devices, touchscreen are now finding their ways into midrange phones and a growing number of consumers now expects all of their screens to be touch-enabled.
via www.nytimes.com
I wonder if they are including the iPad in their description of "mobile devices." If they aren't, they are undershooting … even though it seems bold, the notion that "by 2013 80% of all sales in North America and Europe" claim, I think they may be underestimating its impact. Let's check back after people starting touching the iPad before you tell me I'm crazy.
I’d agree that “mobile” means more than phones, but doesn’t it get blurry- where do you draw the line from ultra portable netbooks?
BTW, what is it with Gartner and 80%? it always seems to be “80%” like the 80% of internet users will have a virtual worlds presence http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=503861
Must be their benchmark level to predict a year (8-/20 rule)
http://www.google.com/search?q=%2Bgartner+80%25