| | By John Daly in Germany @ Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:04 PM
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| | New research from Isuppli indicates demand for mobile internet devices (MIDs) is set to rocket upwards. If the forecast turns out to be true, shipments for internet-enabled devices ranging from ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs) to portable media players (PMPs) are going to increase 800% in the four years. In total, 416 million MIDs will be shipped out in 2012, in contrast to 53.8 million MIDS in 2007. That would account for a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50.6%.
Isuppli's definition covers a wide range of different device types. However, devices must have the ability to connect to the internet in common, be it by means of WLAN, WMAN or 3G. Max display size is limited to 8', a battery which runs for a full day and devices must be able to be turned on instantly. In other words, they mean anything under the sun which can connect itself to the net and fits in handbag.
'The market for MIDs does not just reside in one big multipurpose platform, but instead encompasses segments of various product markets, including UMPCs, netbooks, smart phones, portable navigation devices, e-book readers, portable media/MP3 players and handheld gaming devices,' explained Isuppli senior analyst Francis Sideco.
Smart Phones are reckoned to dominate the MID market. Whilst currently 60% of smartphones meet Isuppli's definition of an MID, the company expects all smartphones will be MIDs by 2012. E-book readers will also become part of the equation, as the new products by Sony and Amazon can connect to the internet over wireless LAN. By comparison, only 2% of UMPCs fall into Isupplis MID-category, however 28% of UMPCs will have the features the research company believes is typical of MIDs, as advancements will be made in battery life and power management.
SSDs will also allow UMPCs to be turned on and boot instantly in the future. Isuppli believes this will be the case in 28% of all UMPCs shipped in 2012. X
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