Mobile devices are increasingly becoming the first go-to device for communications and content consumption, according to Gartner.
The research firm has now claimed that by 2018, more than 50% of users will go to a tablet or smartphone for all online activities first.
"The use pattern that has emerged for nearly all consumers, based on device accessibility, is the smartphone first as a device that is carried when mobile, followed by the tablet that is used for longer sessions, with the PC increasingly reserved for more-complex tasks," said Van Baker, research VP.
In emerging economies, users are adopting smartphones as their exclusive mobile devices while in developed economies, multi-device households are becoming the norm, with tablets growing at the fastest rate of any computing device.
"This behaviour will adapt to incorporate wearables as they become widely available for users. As voice, gesture and other modalities grow in popularity with consumers, and as content consumption tasks outweigh content creation tasks, this will further move users away from the PC."
Gartner also outlined other predictions around mobility, including that by 2018, 40% of organisations will specify Wi-Fi as the default connection for non-mobile devices, such as desktops, desk phones, projectors, conference room.
The research firm also reckons that by 2020, 75 per cent of smartphone buyers will pay less than $100 for a device.
