Mumbai, April 6 (IANS): Global end-user spending on devices will increase by two per cent in 2017, to reach nearly $600 billion, market research firm Gartner said on Thursday.

The end-user spending on mobile phones will reach nearly $400 billion in 2017, an increase of 4.3 per cent from 2016.

"Across the world, the device market is becoming less price-sensitive. Consumers and businesses are seeking better products that suit their lifestyles, rather than just opting for the cheapest products," said Ranjit Atwal, Research Director at Gartner.

Shipments of PCs, ultramobiles and mobile phones are projected to total 2.3 billion units in 2017, achieving flat growth from 2016. Greater availability of basic phones from Chinese vendors such as Oppo, BBK and Huawei increased the average selling prices (ASP) by 13.5 per cent in 2016.

"The high-end smartphone ASP will continue to soar, given the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy 8 and the release of the tenth-anniversary Apple iPhone later this year. We expect the premium-phone ASP to increase by four percent in North America in 2017," added Annette Zimmermann, Vice President, Research, Gartner.