8.1 Billion Connected Devices: IHS Data Shows Average Of 4 Per Household

As of the end of 2015, there were a whopping 8.1 billion connected devices worldwide, and this device base on an average equated to an astonishing 4 devices per household. These figures were released by IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS), a leading source of information, analytics and insight, in its Connected Device Market Monitor report.

The report examined key trends and data from markets for global devices, including smartphones, tablets, PCs, TVs, TV-attached devices and audio devices.

Chromecast Leaves Apple Behind

For the first time in history, Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOGL) beat Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) in TV shipments in 1Q16. The quarter saw 1.7 million units of Apple TV being shipped, versus 3.2 million units of Chromecast.

Related Link: IHS Says Netflix Secured 32% Presence In Connected Devices In US

“We anticipate that this reversal will persist,” IHS Technology principal analyst-connected home, Merrick Kingston said, adding that Google and Apple had “pursued vastly different strategies” since the launch of the fourth-gen Apple TV.

Starting at $149, Apple TV addresses the premium segment of the market. Chromecast, on the other hand, is priced at $35, is considered a real bargain.

Netflix Takes A Third Of The Market

Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) ended 2015 addressing 339 million connected devices in the US, the IHS report stated. This represents 32 percent of the audio-visual hardware landscape.

“Netflix’s reach is a testament to the company’s unrivalled device strategy,” Kingston wrote. “The service’s ubiquity turns Netflix into a de facto rival – and on occasion complement – to any other given video offering in the U.S.”