Ultra-mobile devices to reach 200M by 2013

Demand for ultra-mobile devices such as Netbooks and MIDs (mobile Internet devices) will match that of notebook PCs by 2013, new research has revealed.

Shipment of ultra-mobile devices will grow from 10 million units this year to over 200 million in 2013, ABI Research said in a statement Wednesday. This puts the market on par with the notebook PC market, which the research analyst expects to also reach some 200 million in unit shipment.

According to Philip Solis, principal analyst at ABI Research, the market would be worth nearly US$27 billion. While small compared to the wireless handset market, this figure is "significant" nonetheless, Solis said.

Netbooks currently account for about 90 percent of the total device volumes, but MID units will grow more rapidly to contribute 68 percent to the overall market by 2013, the report noted.

Solis added: "As this market enters its rapid growth phase and starts to evolve, we will see considerable experimentation with different distribution channels--some will sell direct from the manufacturer, some via retail outlets, and some through mobile operators who will subsidize them to encourage new data plan subscriptions."