The unconnected-PDA market is believed to be flat lining at the moment with sales being stagnant across all sectors. However, connected devices are increasing in popularity and the latest figures released by Gartner, suggest that the move to Blackberries always-on email service is proving the most decisive factor for buyers.
The report did not include smartphone sales in the report, merely data-centric PDA devices that offer connected status. Reflecting this trend, the report suggests that Blackberry is now the world’s favourite PDA device with sales increasing 75 percent year-on-year for Q1. This moves the company into the top connected PDA position, with 20.8 percent market share – compared to 14.8 percent year-in-year.
In second place is PalmOne with 18 percent of the market, with HP placing third with 17.6 percent. It will be interesting to see how the market will evolve this year, as the imminent arrival of the PalmOne Treo 650 and the rumoured refresh of HP’s offerings come into play.
