Connected Home Products Key to Success for Consumer Electronics in 2011

Submitted on 01/27/11, 01:29 AM | Click Here for the full article: iSuppli Market Research

Global unit shipments of consumer electronics (CE) products will climb 2.6 percent in 2010, partly driven by rising sales of products that play a role in the connected home and that focus on usability -rather than technological wizardry -according to new IHS iSuppli research. CE product shipments in 2011 are projected to reach 1.60 billion units, up from 1.56 billion in 2010. The CE category encompasses a diverse array of familiar devices that consumers use on a daily basis, including televisions, stereos and audio components, portable media players, set-top boxes, gaming devices, DVD and Blu-ray players, digital still cameras, projectors and camcorders, digital picture frames, e-book readers and consumer appliances. While the 2.6 percent rise in overall shipments this year is modest compared to last year's 4 percent climb, the expansion is significant given current economic conditions. With the continued uncertainties in the global economy and the high unemployment rate in the United States -the world's largest market for CE devices -the uptick in sales provides reassurance for the industry and sets the stage for future growth.