Global smartphone sales are expected to grow in single digits in percentage terms for the first time ever and PC shipments are forecast to decline in 2016, according to research firm Gartner.
Gartner said on Thursday it expected smartphone sales to grow only 7 percent to 1.5 billion units in 2016 from 2015, stunted by flat sales in the crucial China and North America markets.
"The double-digit growth era for the global smartphone market has come to an end," Ranjit Atwal, research director, said in Gartner's latest devices forecast findings.
The Stamford, Connecticut-headquartered firm said it expects worldwide shipments for PCs to decrease 1.5 percent from 2015, before returning to growth in 2017.
Market research firm IDC has also tipped a PC market decline of 5.4 percent in 2016.
IDC's report said overall worldwide PC shipments from 2016 to 2020, including both portable PCs and desktop PCs, will decline 0.5 percent in mature markets.
(Reporting by Alan John Koshy in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
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