2013 Internet Trends Report: Mobile Growth Soars, Tablet Shipments Surpass PCs in Less Than 3 Years

At the All Things Digital D11 conference today Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner Mary Meeker published her 2013 Internet Trends report, a 117 slide presentation that covers a range of topics from Internet usage and traffic to mobile device growth trends.

Unsurprisingly, mobile adoption continues to grow. Both Apple and Samsung have experienced enormous smartphone market share unit growth over the past two years, with Apple going from 16% share in Q1 2010 to 22% share in Q4 2012 and Samsung growing from 4% to 29% during the same time period.

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Tablet growth has exploded as well, outpacing even smartphone growth. When comparing the first 12 quarters after launch, iPad shipments ramped up three times more quickly than iPhone shipments.

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In fact, tablet shipments surpassed both desktop PC and notebook shipments in the fourth quarter of 2012, less than three years after tablets surged in popularity. A similar report from IDC earlier this week confirms the rapid tablet growth, estimating that yearly tablet shipments will surpass notebook shipments by 2013 and the total PC market in 2015.

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Other highlights from the report include overall smartphone growth, which is up 28% year over year in the United States and 31% in China, and mobile internet traffic, which now accounts for 15% of total global internet traffic.

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Top Rated Comments

samcraig Avatar
158 months ago
I like that Apple was labeled as growing rapidly at 1.4x and Samsung's is seemingly marginalized at 7x.

"Both Apple and Samsung have experienced enormous smartphone market share unit growth over the past two years"

Apple has experienced fantastic growth. Samsung - quite honestly has exploded.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M-O Avatar
158 months ago
It's a good thing Tim Cook said last night he doesn't care about Market Share because he's getting A** Whipped by Samsung.

He should have elaborated a little more last night how Apple can be like Samsung...

iOS better be more than Flat because that's what Apple iOS sales are.

It's OK, Tim doesn't care. He just wants developers to make money, he doesn't care how much Apple makes.

Worst interview ever last night. He was defensive all night and just kept spouting the same BS as in the last earnings report.

on behalf of the internet, i give you a swift kick in the nuts.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Renzatic Avatar
158 months ago
No.

I just think comparing Apple and Samsung is like comparing sales of Porsche and Ford.

If Porsche had a market share matching Ford, that would be considered more significant even if Ford had a slightly larger share. But that comparison wouldn't say alot since they sell to entirely differnt markets.

Remember this. If you ever think about making a car to computer analogy...don't. They're not apt at all.

Apple hardware might sport a slightly better build quality than most of the competition, but they cost about the same, and use roughly the same parts. If this were the case with the car market, then a Porsche and Ford would both cost about $15,000, but the Porsches have better bumpers and look nicer.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
samcraig Avatar
158 months ago
No.

I just think comparing Apple and Samsung is like comparing sales of Porsche and Ford.

If Porsche had a market share matching Ford, that would be considered more significant even if Ford had a slightly larger share. But that comparison wouldn't say alot since they sell to entirely differnt markets.

Samsung and iPhone sell to the same markets. You can get both Samsung and Apple phones for free (at least here in the US for example).

Apple isn't a luxury product. You can get them at Walmart. A comparison of Apple to Samsung relating to Porsche and Ford doesn't work as analogous.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
samcraig Avatar
158 months ago
This is why Apple takes patent violations very seriously. Technological innovations and design and ease of use features stolen and put on a cheaper product makes a difference. China and other eastern Asian nations like Korea have a long history of stealing trade secretes rather than self innovation. The very history of the start up of Samsung and their corporate culture in the 1970’s was to study televisions of the day improve and add on top of the existing technology. This is how they came to be and many other Television companies who could not compete with the low prices died out. I see a lot of comments here the don’t take these facts in account when people discuss how apple is being frivolous. If you love Apple and want it to be around 20 years from now, hope they don’t do to cell phones, tablets and computers what they did to the TV markets.

Wow - and this has what to do with what in this thread? Or did you just want to rant?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
4TheLoveOfTech Avatar
158 months ago
Market Share

It's a good thing Tim Cook said last night he doesn't care about Market Share because he's getting A** Whipped by Samsung.

He should have elaborated a little more last night how Apple can be like Samsung...

iOS better be more than Flat because that's what Apple iOS sales are.

It's OK, Tim doesn't care. He just wants developers to make money, he doesn't care how much Apple makes.

Worst interview ever last night. He was defensive all night and just kept spouting the same BS as in the last earnings report.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)