CEA: 2015 to be a ‘significant year for tech’

Global – Latest forecasts suggest the tide of e-scrap is not about to ebb any time soon. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is projecting that revenues for the US consumer electronics industry will reach an all-time high of US$ 223.2 billion this year – a growth rate of 3% that underscores consumers’ continuing ‘love affair with technology’, notes association president and ceo Gary Shapiro.

CEA′s consensus forecast reflects US factory sales to dealers and covers more than 100 types of consumer electronics. New and emerging products are expected to register revenue growth of 108% in 2015, with the latter category including 3D printers, 4K Ultra-High Definition televisions, smartwatches and smart eyewear.

Despite making up only 5% of the entire sector, CEA expects revenues to amount to roughly US$ 11 billion. As the industry′s sales leader, smartphone unit shipments are projected to reach a value of US$ 169.3 million this year, up 6% from 2014, and smartphone revenues are likely to see a 5% boost to US$ 51.3 billion.

′Consumer technology is all about continued innovation,′ Shapiro remarks. ′In the blink of an eye, consumer demand has taken off for emerging categories such as wearables, unmanned aerial vehicles and 4K Ultra HD – categories that were too small to track just three years ago.′

Meanwhile, mobile connected devices have ′reached an equilibrium′ following their steep climb of recent years, notes CEA′s chief economist Shawn DuBravac. Improving economic conditions, consumer enthusiasm for new features and product categories, competitive manufacturer pricing and several other dynamics now at play should make 2015 ′an especially significant year for tech′, he adds.

For more information, visit: www.ce.org