Articles by ABI Research

ABI Research forecasts 8.6 billion smart cards will ship in 2013; a combined number spanning all smart card markets. Of total shipments, 16 percent are forecasted to use a contactless interface, rising to 30 percent in 2018. Government ID, transportation and ticketing, and payment cards continue strong double-digit growth in contactless adoption.

Whether the Apple smart watch rumor is true or not, the GPS fitness watch market is set to reach $1.07 billion in 2013, according to ABI Research’s latest quarterly “GPS & GNSS” Market Data which forecasts fitness watches split by price tier.

Based on 2012 shipment data, where cellular module revenues grew 21 percent YoY, ABI Research expects to see a further increase in shipments, reaching nearly 100 million units by 2015.

Whether for entertainment, convenience, or enhancing productivity, media tablets continue to take the market by storm. According to market intelligence firm ABI Research, an estimated 145 million tablet devices will ship worldwide in 2013. A combination of new market entrants, more affordable choices for consumers, and increased adoption by business audiences will support the growth.

Agilent Technologies Inc. announced the 34450A 5½ digit Benchtop Digital Multimeter, designed to turbocharge electronic test and measurement applications for industrial and educational use.

In its latest issue of outdoor small cells and carrier Wi-Fi Market Data, ABI Research forecasts that outdoor small cells will reach 500,000 units in 2013.

Worldwide mobile operator capital infrastructure expenditure in 2013 will experience opposing forces from different regional markets. “In North America, mobile carrier CapEx will grow 2.1 percent to US$13.4 billion as the accelerated LTE equipment spend programs from AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, etc. concentrate spending in 2013,” said Jake Saunders, VP and practice director of core forecasting at ABI Research.

Base station expenditures in Q3 2012 in the Asia-Pacific region at $7.6 billion, or more than half of the total market, continued to be more than 4 times higher than in Western Europe or North America, and grew 50 percent compared to the year ago quarter, while North America spending grew 27 percent year-on-year in Q3 2012.

While the femtocell market struggled in the first half of 2012, the market has bounced back in the second half of the year. ABI Research’s latest femtocell forecast update suggests that 2012 ended up with shipments reaching slightly above 2 million units. The shipments in the second half more than doubled from the first half, making up for some of the lost momentum.

Apple’s iPhone 5 and Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones have provided LTE-enabled handset shipments a substantial lift in 2012 – even if it has not necessarily assisted the 4G mobile operators with “each and every” LTE handset sold.