Though major growth in the tablet market is beginning to slow in established markets in the west, the overall tablet market is still set to grow very quickly in the coming years.
DigiTimes today reported that tablet sales during the fourth quarter of 2013 can be expected to reach 60 million units. That would be a 20% rise in sell-through from the fourth quarter of 2012.
The report cites the release of new tablets in October and November as a major factor in the rising sales of the devices. Nearly every major tablet manufacturer, such as Apple, Samsung, Toshiba, LG, ASUS, and even Nokia have new tablet offerings for the holiday season.
Apple in particular is set for significant growth during the fourth quarter, with DigiTimes estimating the company will ship 20 million iPad devices before the end of the year. This represents a major increase in shipments from the 14.25 million iPads Apple shipped during the third quarter, which was actually a slight quarter-on-quarter drop in shipments from the second quarter of this year. The company’s iPad Air will lead sales this holiday season, while a new refresh of the iPad Mini is rumored to be in short supply.
With its growing variety of tablets, Samsung is leading the way for Android-based tablet manufacturers that have now collectively over taken Apple in the market. DigiTimes estimates that the Korean manufacturer will grow its shipments slightly quarter-over-quarter to 10 million tablets during the fourth quarter.