The so-called ‘smart connected device’ market grew by 27.1 percent year-on-year in Q3, according to new figures from IDC.

Described as a combination of connected PCs, tablets and smartphones, the research firm calculated that the sector reached a record 303.6 million shipments in the quarter, valuing it at US$140.4 billion.

From a vendor perspective, Samsung maintained the top position with a 21.8 percent market share based on shipments. Apple ranked second overall in shipments, but was the leading vendor in terms of value, generating US$34.1 billion in 3Q12 – an ASP of US$744 across all device categories.

“The difference in their collective ASPs is a telling sign of different market approaches,” said IDC’s Ryan Reith. “The fact that Apple’s ASP is US$310 higher than Samsung’s with just over 20 million fewer shipments in the quarter speaks volumes about the premium product line that Apple sells.”

IDC predicts that record growth in the sector will continue into the key holiday period. It predicts that Q4 shipments will be up 19.2 percent over 3Q and up 26.5 percent over the same quarter a year ago.

Looking forward, IDC expects the worldwide smart connected device space will continue to surge well past the strong holiday quarter and predicts shipments to surpass 2.1 billion units in 2016 with a market value of $796.7 billion worldwide.

 

Vendor

3Q12 Unit Shipments

3Q12 Market Share

3Q11 Unit Shipments

3Q11 Market Share

3Q12/3Q11 Growth

Samsung

66.1

21.8%

33.5

14.0%

97.5%

Apple

45.8

15.1%

33.1

13.9%

38.3%

Lenovo

21.1

7.0%

13.2

5.5%

60.0%

HP

14.0

4.6%

17.6

7.4%

-20.5%

Sony

11.0

3.6%

8.7

3.7%

25.4%

Other

145.6

48.0%

132.7

55.6%

9.7%

Total

303.6

100.0%

238.9

100.0%

27.1%

Top 5 Smart Connected Device Vendors, Shipments, and Market Share, Q3 2012 (shipments in millions)

Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Smart Connected Device Tracker, December 10, 2012.