IHS’s Connected Device Market Monitor shows that there were 8.1 billion connected devices worldwide by the end of 2015. This includes smartphones, tablets, connected TVs (and enabling devices like consoles), PCs and audio products. On average, this represents four devices per household, worldwide.
Smartphones are growing at a rate of around 500 million new devices annually; tablets and OTT STBs are also growing, but at ‘an order of magnitude’ below smartphones. IHS expects the gap to widen by 2020, rising to almost 10 smartphones told to every one tablet.
Changes were recorded in the connected TV device space, with Chromecast surpassing Apple TV in Q1’16: 3.2 million Chromecasts were shipped, compared to 1.7 million Apple TVs. IHS expects this trend to continue. Apple is now focused on the high-end STB space, while the Chromecast is a mass-market device.
IHS also discussed OTT TV, with Netflix installed on as many as 32% of connected devices in the USA at the end of 2015 (339 million). “The service’s ubiquity turns Netflix into a de facto rival – and on occasion complement – to any other given video offering in the U.S,” said IHS’ Merrick Kingston.
