MobileChannels.eu - Smartphones. SmartDevices. SmartAccessories.

Global device (PCs, tablets and mobile phones) shipments are set to total 2.4 billion in 2013 before reaching over 2.9 billion by 2017 Gartner reports, even if the device mix will see changes during the period.

Consumer preference to lower-priced tablets, coupled with growing capability, accelerates the shift away from PCs-- traditional desktop and notebook PC shipments are to drop by -7.9% during 2013, although ultramobile shipments should offset the decline to -3.5% when combined.

"While there will be some individuals who retain both a personal PC and a tablet, especially those who use either or both for work and play, most will be satisfied with the experience they get from a tablet as their main computing device," the analyst says. "As consumers shift their time away from their PC to tablets and smartphones, they will no longer see their PC as a device that they need to replace on a regular basis."

HTC posts its lowest quarterly profits yet-- HTC One launch delays cause Q1 2013 net income to drop by -98% Y-o-Y to $2.8 million, down from $173m in Q1 2012.

Meanwhile revenues fall by -37% to $1.14 billion according to Bloomberg estimates.

The chief reason for such dramatic losses are camera component shortages, causing the the HTC One to miss its March 2013 global launch date. Analysts predict limited chances for profits to rebound in Q2 2013, since the flagship handset will be available less than a month before the Samsung Galaxy S4.

“For smartphones, timing is everything and the delay means they lose that timing,” Yuanta Securities remarks.

Now HTC puts its hope on the HTC First-- the first smartphone to feature Facebook's "Home" app, also set to be available by April 2013. Will the power of social networking bring the Taiwanese mobile maker back on its feet?

Go HTC Releases Unaudited Q1 2013 Results

Go HTC Posts Record-Low Profit (Bloomberg)

The mobile phone turns 40-- on 3 April 1973 Motorola employee Martin Cooper made the very first mobile phone call, reportedly calling AT&T from a New York sidewalk to say "I'm ringing you just to see if my call sounds good at your end."

The phone Cooper used was a prototype of the first commercially available mobile phone, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000x. It was 9 inches tall (not including a nearly equal length of antenna), weighed 800g and needed 10 hours of charge to provide up to 35 minutes of talk time. Needless to say one could't play Snake on it, never mind Angry Birds...

Predictably, not everyone was impressed at the time. As the AP snarkily put it on the day, "...That telephone in the secret agent's heel is almost here—- if you're the Jolly Green Giant, have a jolly green bank account and can wait until 1976." 

As videogames shift from physical to online sales UK retail chain GAME spices up its product offering by adding a slew of tablets on its market shelves. 

GAME already sells the Nexus 7, but soon 150 stores will offer 9 more tablets-- including the Archos Gamepad, the Acer Iconia B1-A71 and the obligatory 4th generation iPad and iPad mini. 

"Tablets are an increasingly popular gaming platform so it's a natural step for us to be at the heart of providing these to the UK gaming community," the retailer says. "We are really excited about the GamePad, it's great to be able to offer our customers something that is not only brand new but specifically tailored to gamers."

Go GAME Tablets