The Number Of Smartphones In Use Is About To Pass The Number Of PCs

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The technology analyst Benedict Evans recently tweeted the chart below, which is based on data from Enders Analysis.

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Evans notes that the estimated number of smartphones in use is about to pass the number of PCs in use - probably in the first half of 2014.

The number of smartphones sold per year blew past PCs sold per year a couple of years ago. But the installed base of PCs is more than 1.5 billion, and they generally last a lot longer than smartphones. Tablets, meanwhile, which will probably start outselling PCs next year, are still a distant third in terms of installed base.

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In a follow-up tweet, Evans notes that the PC installed base is estimated using 5-year trailing PC sales, while the smartphone and tablet installed base uses 2-year trailing sales.

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Based on a still-functioning home-office PC from 2005 that I still use occasionally, as well as an only recently deceased iPhone 3GS, both usage lives may be conservative.

Here's Evans' tweet:

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