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Smartphone Category to Have First Decline in 2017, Says CTA

Smartphones, tablets, LCD TVs, laptops and desktop PCs together will contribute $114 billion, 51 percent, to tech industry's revenue this year, but in 2017, the five leading categories will account for less than half of industry income, said CTA. Smartphones…

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continue to lead the segment, with $55 billion revenue (4 percent higher than 2015) on a projected 183 million unit shipments (up 5 percent), but the lengthening smartphone replacement cycle will make 2017 the first year smartphones decline in unit sales and revenue, said Monday's report. Emerging technology and broader adoption of connected devices will push revenue for the consumer tech industry up 1.3 percent this year. Wearable sales are projected to grow by 39 percent to 48 million units, said CTA, while tablets will continue their decline and virtual reality headset unit sales will jump along with drone sales.