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Demand for Tablets and Smartphones to exceed need for Desktop PCs or notebooks: Gartner
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NEW DELHI: Even as the demand for desktop PCs and even notebooks will continue to decline, the number of tablets and smartphones will rise consistently in 2013 and 2014. A survey by Gartner says that total shipment of devices will rise in 2013. A total 2.35 billion Units including (PCs, mobile phones, tablets) are expected to be shipped in the year 2013, a 5.9 per cent increase from 2012. But the major share will come from tablets and smartphones and the share of ultra-mobiles will be minimal. The trend of fixed computers or rather desktop computers is declining and most of the new buyers prefer to have a smarter mobile unit. Some 305 million units will be shipped in the desk-based and notebook category in 2013, 10.6 per cent lower to what industry shipped in 2012 but on the other hand, tablets will rise by 67. 9 per cent with shipment reaching 202 million units against 120 million units shipped in 2012.  |
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Mobile phone market will see more competition as the consumer waits for better models and lower prices. The mobile market will grow by 4.3 per cent to 1.8 billion units during 2013. Decreasing smartphone prices and availability of latest OS version in the mobile phones have increased the life cycle of the device. It will impact the growth as it will be slower in 2013. Ultra mobile and hybrid devices are creating new trends and according to the Gartner analysts, devices such as Chromebooks, Slates etc are attracting people more than other mobile devices but their cheaper versions are getting more popular among masses. For example, more than 60 per cent of iOS devices are iPad mini and so is the case with other platforms. As more models are coming by the end of 2013 with Intel’s Bay Trail and Haswell along with Windows 8.1, the fourth quarter looks more promising. In the operating system segment, Android continues to grow as table 2 shows. There will be 866 million Android units shipped in 2013 and in 2014 they will hit a 1.06 billion mark. |
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Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
