The tech revolution has been upon us for decades, whether it was the boom in televisions, computers or cell phones. More recently, AI is firmly in the spotlight, alongside more developments in other products.
To help you understand the market, our highly experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of developments in the tech sector (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You will get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest…
Here's another sign that the tech spending boom has returned to earth: Tablet shipments are back to normal, after a surge during the pandemic among buyers rushing to buy the portable devices for remote work and play.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Market research firm IDC reports that global shipments in the first quarter of 2023 were 30.1 million units, close to the 31.6 million shipped in the first quarter of 2019.
Those preliminary figures show a 19% year-over-year decline, and demand will weaken further. The market is dominated by Apple and Samsung, which grab the majority of shipments.
Still, other vendors continue to compete, such as China’s Huawei, the third-largest seller, Lenovo takes fourth position with Amazon in fifth, seeing a drop of 62% year over year. OnePlus and Google are also launching new tablets.
Though vendors are hurt by falling sales, they are cheering huge user gains. Apple, for example, boasts that iPad users reached a new all-time high recently. The company profits from device users splurging on the company’s other services.
This forecast first appeared in The Kiplinger Letter. Since 1923, the Letter has helped millions of business executives and investors profit by providing reliable forecasts on business and the economy, as well as what to expect from Washington. Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe.
-
Top New Year’s Travel Destinations: Glamorous Cities & Peaceful RetreatsRing in the New Year your way — explore vibrant celebrations or find your peaceful retreat.
-
Jim Carrey Ran Out of Money in Retirement. Will You?Cash-strapped retirees are returning to the workforce. How to prevent becoming one of them.
-
Don't Sleep on Japan's Economic TransformationThe Letter After almost three lost decades, Japan — one of the world's biggest economies — is finally showing signs of life.
-
Kiplinger Outlook: Telecom Companies Brace for Tough TimesThe Letter The telecom industry is entering a new era that threatens profitability. But the coming Trump administration will make it easier for the major players to adjust.
-
Start-ups Trying to (Profitably) Solve the World’s Hardest ProblemsThe Letter More investors are interested in companies working on breakthrough science to tackle huge societal challenges. The field of deep tech has major tailwinds, too.
-
The Big Questions for AR’s FutureThe Letter As Meta shows off a flashy AR prototype, Microsoft quietly stops supporting its own AR headset. The two companies highlight the promise and peril of AR.
-
China's Economy Faces Darkening OutlookThe Letter What the slowdown in China means for U.S. businesses.
-
AI Start-ups Keep Scoring Huge SumsThe Kiplinger Letter Investors continue to make bigger bets on artificial intelligence start-ups, even for small teams with no revenue. Some backers think a startling tech breakthrough is near.
-
Should We Worry About the Slowing U.S. EconomyThe Letter With the labor market cooling off and financial markets turning jittery, just how healthy is the economy right now?
-
New Phones Get All the Hype, but Consumers Still Love Old Models
The Letter Even as flashy artificial intelligence features drive sales of new smartphones, used phones continue to fetch big bucks as demand outstrips supply.
