IDC reported that just over 900,000 handheld devices shipped in the first quarter of 2007, down 36.3 percent from the previous quarter, and down 40.6 percent for the quarter year-on-year. This marks the thirteenth consecutive quarter of year-on-year decline, IDC said.
IDC's definition of "handheld devices" includes units that provide wireless capabilities, such as Internet access and text communication, but excludes "converged devices" with integrated telephony functions. In
Windows Mobile 6 terminology, these types of devices are considered "Classic."
Personal information management, "the key feature that once distinguished handheld devices, can now be found commonly on converged mobile devices," noted Ramon Llamas, research analyst with IDC's Mobile Device Technology and Trends team. "The growing popularity of converged mobile devices combined with declining prices for laptop computers have put tremendous pressure on the handheld device market."
Vendor rankingsThe top five vendors for the quarter were almost unchanged from the
prior quarter, with Sharp taking the number five position away from Acer.
Top Five Handheld Device Vendors -- Q1 2007 (Preliminary)
| Vendor | Q1 2007
Shipments | Market Share | Q1 2006
Shipments | Market Share | Y/Y Growth |
| Palm | 295,250 | 32.1% | 475,000 | 30.7% | -37.8% |
| HP | 199,400 | 21.7% | 346,000 | 22.3% | -42.4% |
| Mio | 138,631 | 15.1% | 104,609 | 6.8% | 32.5% |
| Dell | 78,000 | 8.5% | 143,100 | 9.2% | -25.4% |
| Sharp | 44,000 | 4.8% | 99,000 | 6.4% | -55.6% |
| Others | 164,635 | 17.9% | 381,490 | 24.6% | -56.8% |
| TOTAL | 919,916 | 100.0% | 1,549,199 | 100.0% | -40.6% |
(Source: IDC Worldwide Handheld QView, May 2007)
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