ABI Research Sees Growth In 2.4 GHz HIDs

By Staff On Jan 29 2007 - 8:00am

Wireless human interface devices (HIDs) such as wireless mice, keyboards and remote controls that operate in the 2.4 GHz band are expected to outstrip those products that operate in the traditional 27MHz band by 2008, according to information recently released by ABI Research.

The research firm attributes the change to "wholesale product changes by major OEMs" and said it expects 2.4GHz products to account for three times the number of 27MHz products shipped by 2011.

"The narrowing cost differential between 2.4 GHz and 27 MHz ICs and the improved range of 2.4 GHz mean that 2.4 GHz products are well positioned to take advantage of the growing need to support media center PCs with rich navigational solutions such as Vista's SideShow," said ABI's research director Stuart Carlaw.

For more information on ABI's forecasts for the total wireless HID market — including the firm's prediction that the market will grow from 2005's number of just over 100 million units to more than 168 million units in 2012, at an 8 percent combined annual growth rate — see ABI's latest research brief, "Wireless PAN Technologies in PC and Mobile HD." The report is available at www.abiresearch.com.