U.S. Consumer Electronics Market to Reach $239.4 Billion

DUBLIN: The U.S. consumer electronics devices market is projected to bring in $239.4 billion this year, increasing to $276.6 billion by 2015, driven by sales of premium TV sets, smartphones and notebooks, according to a new report from Research and Markets.

Video applications are expected to account for around 80 percent of demand during the 2011-15 forecast period, with key drivers linked to new technologies like LED TV sets, 3D TV and Blu-ray. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. households now have flat-screen TVs, which will require manufacturers to introduce new features to encourage continued upgrades. Vendors must also focus on innovation, including improved display quality and wider screens, as well as features like Internet connectivity.

Notebooks remain the largest product category with computers but face competition from the smartphones of RIM Apple, HTC and other vendors as well as tablet notebooks, led by Apple’s iPad. Smartphones will be a key growth area in mobile and are forecast to account for more than 50 percent of the U.S. market handset sales for the first time in 2011, with Android models as the fastest growing handset market segment.