802.11n-enabled CE Device Shipments to Exceed 300 Million in 2015

The year 2010 continued a shift toward consumer electronics (CE) devices with networking capabilities, allowing more devices to directly connect to the Internet or to a home network. Market research firm In-Stat sees a continuation of the trend, forecasting growth in CE 802.11n-enabled devices. Annual unit shipments will increase from 53 million in 2010 to almost 300 million in 2015.

Portable CE devices such as digital still cameras, e-readers and handheld games are not the only CE devices benefiting from Wi-Fi. Stationary devices such as digital photo frames, digital televisions and gaming consoles are also seeing increasing Wi-Fi attach rates as consumers see the benefits of having Internet connectivity to stationary CE devices without the need for new wires.

“The migration to 802.11n is an impressive but interim step in the evolution of Wi-Fi. Users will see significantly greater speed and range than 802.11.b/g,” says Frank Dickson, VP of Mobile Internet. “However, looming on the horizon is 802.11ac with speeds of around 1Gbps as the Wi-Fi ecosystem looks to address the movement of video in a serious way. The first shipments won’t hit the market until 2013 and its real impact will not be felt until 2015 and beyond.”

Other findings include:
• E-readers will reach a Wi-Fi attach rate of 85 percent by 2013.
• Over 82 million, 802.11n-enabled tablets will ship in 2012.
• Mobile device with Wi-Fi will still dominate shipments. In 2013, shipments of mobile phones with embedded Wi-Fi are projected to exceed ¾ of a billion units.
• 29 million digital photo frames will be shipped in 2014; 53 percent will be Wi-Fi-enabled.

In-Stat