Strong demand for tablets such as Apple's iPad will help worldwide shipments of web-enabled devices rise in 2013, offsetting a decline in desktop and laptop computers, research company Gartner said on Monday.
Combined shipments of computers, tablets and mobile phones will reach 2.32 billion units in 2013, a 4.5 % increase on 2012, Gartner forecast. Shipments of tablets are expected to rise 42.7 % to 184 million.
Traditional desktop and laptop computers will continue to decline, with shipments forecast to total 303 million units, an 11.2 % drop on 2012, the research group said.
The mobile phone market will continue to experience steady growth, it said, with shipments projected to increase by 3.7 % to more than 1.8 billion units, it said.
Price competition is strongest for the smaller, 7-inch, tablets, Gartner said.
"We expect this holiday season to be all about smaller tablets as even the long-term holiday favorite - the smartphone - loses its appeal," said Carolina Milanesi, the firm's research vice president.