More than 1B embedded devices to ship this year, IHS iSuppli says

More than 1 billion electronic products with embedded wireless technology will ship this year, and more than 2 billion will ship in 2015, as consumers start to demand that all of their devices have Internet connectivity, according to research from IHS iSuppli.
“In today’s world of connected electronics, consumers expect seamless access to Internet communications, services and content in any place and at any time,” said Dr. Jagdish Rebello, senior director and principal analyst for communications and consumer electronics at IHS. “From sharing Facebook news on their iPads, to viewing Hulu programs on their flat-panel TVs, to streaming audio and video in cars with their automotive infotainment systems, consumers depend on built-in WLAN technology to get the most out of their electronic products. Because of this, embedded WLAN is becoming the norm for all kinds of devices.”
While the figures are more conservative than Ericsson’s proclamation that there will be 50 billion connections by 2020, Ericsson’s estimate includes machine-to-machine devices.
More than 19% of devices worldwide shipped this year will have some type of embedded connectivity, the research firm said, up from 15.6% last year. By 2015, IHS iSuppli estimates that percentage to rise to more than 28%.
Cellphones account for the majority of the devices, with 512.8 million units set to ship this year. Mobile PCs take second place, with about 230.1 million units set to ship. Automotive electronics head units and LCD TVs are expected to be top growth categories going forward, as will camcorders and cameras, e-book readers and DVD players and readers.