According to IDC's data, 2.2 million handhelds shipped in Q4-05, up 37.6 percent from Q3-05 (2005's best quarter) but down 18.2 percent from Q4-04, with 2005's shipments totaling 7.5 million units.
The top five vendors in the fourth quarter were Palm (45.6 percent), HP (20.8 percent), Dell (8.0 percent), Acer (5.7 percent), and Medion (4.3 percent), IDC said.
IDC's definition of "handheld devices" excludes devices with built-in mobile phone functions, although it includes devices with wireless capabilities that enable Internet access and text communication.
"New devices continue to come out from the market leaders, aimed at different user types and offered at different price points. With the addition of GPS solutions, multimedia capability, and WiFi connectivity, handhelds offer additional value beyond just PIM," IDC research analyst Ramon Llamas said.
Further details on IDC's Worldwide Handheld QView research service are available on IDC's
website.
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