Worldwide shipments of personal digital assistants declined for the third straight year, according to a new report.

Shipments of basic handheld PDAs lacking telephone capabilities shrank to 9.2 million units in 2004, down 13 percent from 10.6 million units in 2003, the Framingham, Mass.-based research firm IDC said. It’s the first time in five years that sales dropped below 10 million units.