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Tag: tablet shipments

  • Tech Shipments Growing, Despite Languishing PC Market

    With many parts of the worldwide economy still struggling to recover from the recent economic recession, the tech industry still appears resilient enough to weather just about any market fluctuations. Market research firm Gartner today released a new report showing that shipments of tech products are still continuing to rise.

    The report predicts that shipments of PCs (including “ultramobile” PCs), tablets, and mobile phones are set to hit a combined 2.5 billion units during 2014. This represents a nearly 6.9% increase over shipments seen in 2013.

    This rise in shipments will come despite the continued decline in traditional PC sales. Gartner estimates that only 276.7 million desktop and notebook PCs will ship during 2014, a 6.5% decrease over 2013 shipment numbers. This trend is predicted to continue into 2015, when the firm estimates that only 263 million desktops and notebooks will be shipped.

    “The traditional PC category continues to decrease, with only about two-thirds of notebook and desktop replacements remaining within this category,” said Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner. “The majority of the remaining one-third will move to ultramobiles, while others will not be replaced at all.”

    Making up for the traditional PC slowdown is the tablet market, which is predicted to continue its impressive growth will into next year. Tablet shipments are predicted to rise to 270.7 million units during 2014 (a 38.5% rise over 2013 shipments) and are predicted to top traditional PC shipments in 2015 with 349.1 million units shipped.

    Mobile phone shipments are also expected to continue rise in the coming years. Gartner estimates that nearly 1.9 billion mobile phones will ship during 2014, a 4.9% increase over 2013 shipments.

    As the tablet and smartphone segments begin to saturate mature markets, marketing focus will shift toward emerging markets such as China. The coming glut of smartphones and tablets will also breed extensive competition between manufacturers, cutting margins to razor-thin levels and pushing out weaker competitors.

    Meanwhile, traditional PC manufacturers are still desperately trying to find a way to make notebooks and desktops more relevant to the consumer market. Features such as Ultra HD displays and touch displays will soon become standard for notebooks, though it is still unclear whether such features will lure consumers back from more mobile tablets.

    “Tablet substitution of notebooks will start to dissipate from this year onwards as consumers and businesses align the right device with the right usage pattern,” said Atwal. “As they do this, we will see where dedicated devices (such as tablets), or hybrid devices (detachable or convertible devices), fit in the overall portfolio of devices.”

    Image via Samsung

  • Tablet Growth to Slow as Markets Saturate

    Tablet Growth to Slow as Markets Saturate

    The tablet segment is seeing explosive growth in emerging markets, heralding an even greater slowdown for the PC market in the coming years. Even with tablets flying off shelves in newer markets, though, the overall tablet market may have already hit its peak growth.

    Market research firm IDC has released a new report predicting that global tablet market growth will slow to just 19.4% this year with an estimated 260.9 million tablets predicted to ship. This, compared to the 51.6% growth the industry saw in 2013.

    The probable slowdown is being attributed to established markets that are quickly saturating. In the U.S. and Europe the installed base of tablet owners has grown large enough that new tablet customers are becoming rare. Tablet technology, largely based on that of the mature smartphone market, has also helped to satisfy customers using early models, keeping the number of replacement tablet purchases relatively low.

    “After years of strong growth, we expect the white-box tablet market to slow in 2014 as consumers move to higher-end devices that work better and last longer,” said IDC’s Tom Mainelli, program VP for Devices & Displays at IDC. “In mature markets, where many buyers have purchased higher-end products from market leaders, consumers are deciding that their current tablets are good enough for the way they use them. Few are feeling compelled to upgrade the same way they did in years past, and that’s having an impact on growth rates.”

    The IDC report also predicts that the average sale price for tablets will also begin to level off in the coming months. For several quarters now white box and branded tablet makers have both been racing to provide consumers with inexpensive tablets filled with low-end hardware. The report predicts that average sale price for tablets will drop just 3.6% in 2014 compared to the 14.6% decline seen in 2013.

    Image via Samsung

  • 455 Million Tablets Predicted to Ship in 2017

    Though some analysts have observed that the explosive growth in the tablet market seems to be slowing, that doesn’t mean the overall tablet market has hit its peak. A new report out today from NPD DisplaySearch is now predicting that tablets will come to dominate the mobile PC industry in just a few years.

    DisplaySearch is predicting that tablet shipments will hit 315 million this year, a significant increase from the estimated 250 million tablets that shipped in 2013. Already this year tablets are expected to make up over 65% of the mobile PC market (comprised of tablets and notebooks) By 2017 DisplaySearch sees 455 million tablets shipping, representing close to three-quarters (75%) of the mobile PC market.

    “Momentum for the tablet PC market is in full swing as it has become the dominant mobile PC form factor,” said Richard Shim, senior analyst at DisplaySearch. “Competition is expected to increase as traditional notebook PC brands, including Lenovo, HP, and Dell update their product portfolios to emphasize tablet PCs. Increased competition will mean more attention on, and development of, various segments of the market, which will ultimately lead to greater choice and devices that better fit the needs of consumers.”

    While the tablet market continues to climb, the notebook market will see a corresponding decline. DisplaySearch predicts a 7% decline in notebook PC sales during 2014. Though PC manufacturers had hoped touchscreen notebooks might spur notebook adoption, DisplaySearch’s numbers show weak adoption of the products. Shipments of standard notebooks is predicted to fall to just 105 million in 2017.

    The only category of the notebook segment seen on the rise is the “ultra-slim” category ( devices such as the MacBook Air and other “ultrabooks”). DisplaySearch predicts that shipments of ultra-slim notebooks will rise to 57 million by the year 2017.

    Image via Apple

  • Tablet Market Growth Slowing, Shows Report

    As seen in reports last week, the tablet market rose nearly 30% year-over-year during 2013’s holiday season. This growth was expected and welcome for the burgeoning segment, but now some market watchers are bracing for a slowdown in tablet market growth.

    Market research firm ABI research today provided its own fourth quarter 2013 estimates, showing that 76.9 million tablets shipped during the quarter. This accounts for a 62.4% growth over estimated third quarter 2013 tablet shipments, but only a 28.2% increase over the holiday quarter 2012.

    As ABI points out, this 28% growth rate is significantly less than the 87.1% year-over-year seen during the fourth quarter of 2012. The number of tablets shipped in 2013 reached an estimated 217.1 million, a 50.6% increase from 2012. According to ABI these number indicate a slowing growth trend for the tablet market, as seen in the recent CEA estimate that almost half of online Americans now own tablets.

    “It’s becoming increasingly clear that markets such as the U.S. are reaching high levels of consumer saturation and while emerging markets continue to show strong growth this has not been enough to sustain the dramatic worldwide growth rates of years past,” said Tom Mainelli, research director for tablets at IDC. “We expect commercial purchases of tablets to continue to accelerate in mature markets, but softness in the consumer segment – brought about by high penetration rates and increased competition for the consumer dollar – point to a more challenging environment for tablets in 2014 and beyond.”

    ABI’s numbers put Apple once again at the head of the tablet market, with a 33.8% share of tablet shipments during the fourth quarter 2013. Samsung (18.8%) and Amazon (7.6%) follow far behind, with Chinese brands quickly catching up. Lenovo in particular increased its 2013 tablet shipments by 325%, up to 3.4 million tablets shipped.

    Image via Samsung

  • Nearly Half of Online Americans Now Own Tablets

    As predicted, tablets were some of the hottest items this holiday shopping season. Over 78 million tablets shipped during the fourth quarter 2013 and Apple is set to lead another year of huge tablet market growth in 2014.

    The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) today estimated that a full 44% of online Americans now own at least one tablet. According to a new report from the organization, 70% of these same Americans are planning to purchase a tablet at some point.

    “Tablets had a strong 2013 holiday season, particularly on Black Friday, but are showing the beginning signs of market saturation,” said Kevin Tillmann, a senior research analyst at CEA. “Striking the right chord with consumers’ tablet expectations following the holiday season will be imperative to improving sales, despite slowing penetration during the past year. Consumers are looking for competitive pricing and simplicity, now that several manufacturers are in the mix.”

    Though CEA’s report saw tablet revenue growth slowing last year, falling average sale prices should be able to keep the category growing for quite some time. The report predicts U.S. tablet sales to reach $27.3 billion in 2014 with 89.3 million tablets sold.

    CEA’s report also looked at what exactly Americans are using their tablets for. The firm found that a full two-thirds of tablet owners use their tablets for gaming. Other popular apps include weather apps and using social networking apps, which over half (51%) of tablet owners use. CEA estimates that tablet owners are now spending upwards of $256 million on apps each month.

    Image via Apple

  • Over 78 Million Tablets Shipped During the Holiday Quarter

    Tablets are now eating significantly into sales of traditional PCs and could soon overshadow PC sales altogether. This past holiday season (particularly Black Friday sales) further propelled the growth of the tablet market, firmly planting mobile devices as a dominant force for online commerce.

    DigiTimes Research today estimated that 78.5 million tablets shipped worldwide during the fourth quarter of 2013. This represents a 25% increase in tablet shipments from the third quarter 2013 and a massive 29.8% increase over the number of tablets shipped during the fourth quarter 2012. These numbers match well with fourth quarter predictions that the tablet market would see 20% sell-through growth during the holidays.

    As a brand, Apple still holds a firm lead on tablet market share. DigiTimes estimates that 29.7% of all tablet shipments during the fourth quarter 2013 were iPads. Apple is expected to maintain this lead as the tablet market grows and is predicted to ship at least 80 million iPads during 2014.

    No other tablet brands come close to the tablet market share that Apple controlled during the fourth quarter, though Samsung came closest with 17.4%. Other notable tablet players include Amazon (5.4%), Lenovo (4.2%), and Asus (2.8%). All other brands besides Apple combined for a 36.6% market share during the holidays, and smaller “white-box” brands combined for almost as much (33.8%)

    Though Apple leads tablet shipments, Google’s Android platform is also building a market firm position for tablet OS share. DigiTimes estimates that over half (51.2%) of the tablets shipped during the fourth quarter 2013 were running a version of Android.

    Image via Apple

  • Apple to Ship Over 80 Million Tablets This Year

    Apple to Ship Over 80 Million Tablets This Year

    Tablets were more popular than ever this holiday season, and Apple and Samsung continued to display their mobile dominance with iPad and Galaxy tablet sales on Black Friday.

    A DigiTimes report today is showing that this year’s tablet sales growth is not expected to slow. The report’s unnamed “Taiwan-based supply chain makers” are predicting that Apple will ship upwards of 80 to 90 million tablets during 2014. Those same sources predict that Samsung will ship 60 to 70 million.

    This takes into account the new tablets that both Apple and Samsung are expected to announce during the coming year.

    Apple is expected to reveal its refreshed iPad Mini and iPad Air lineup this year, which will presumably be lighter and thinner than last year’s lineup. In addition, the long-held rumors of a new 12.9-inch mega-tablet version of the iPad are still being passed on by DigiTimes’ sources. With Samsung having already unveiled its 12.2-inch mega-tablets at this year’s CES, Apple may see more pressure for a larger version of the iPad, though the report claims a mega iPad release is unlikely before the end of the third quarter 2014.

    As for Samsung, the Korean manufacturer will continue to flood global markets with tablets of all sizes and prices. With emerging markets forecasted to be so important for industry growth in the coming years, Samsung’s lower-price tablet lineup could become more important. DitiTimes predicts more tablets like the new Galaxy Tab 3 Lite with prices falling to as low as $129.

  • Device Sales Forecast to Hit 2.5 Billion This Year

    With IT spending once again on the rise, tech manufacturers are optimistic about their device sales in the coming year.

    Market research firm Gartner today estimated that shipments of devices including PCs, Tablets, and Phones will reach more than 2.47 billion by the end of 2014. This represents a 7.6% increase in device shipments from Gartner’s estimated 2.3 billion devices shipped during 2013.

    As expected, mobile phones (including smartphones) are expected to account for the majority of this year’s device shipments. Gartner estimates that over 1.9 billion mobile phones will be shipped during 2014. Phone shipment estimates are followed by tablets (263 million), PCs (278 million), and other devices (63 million that includes hybrid computers and “ultramobile” devices).

    As mobile phone shipments continue to dominate device shipments, Google’s Android OS is expected to continue its dominance of the mobile phone industry. Gartner estimates that 1.1 billion of this year’s shipped devices will have some form of Android on them, followed by Windows (360 million), and Apple’s iOS or Mac OS (a combined 344 million). Gartner believes Android’s massive market dominance will continue in the coming years, led by emerging markets where low-end smartphones are expected to lead industry growth.

    “The device market continues to evolve, with buyers deciding which combination of devices is required to meet their wants and needs,” said Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner. “Mobile phones are a must have and will continue to grow but at a slower pace, with opportunities moving away from the top-end premium devices to mid-end basic products. Meanwhile users continue to move away from the traditional PC (notebooks and desk-based) as it becomes more of a shared content creation tool, while the greater flexibility of tablets, hybrids and lighter notebooks address users’ increasingly different demands.”

  • Consumer Computer Sales Increasing, Thanks to Tablets

    Throughout the past few years, the tech industry has watched as consumers bought fewer PCs each year. Shipments of PCs and notebooks have been declining for several consecutive quarters now. Consumers have not been lured in by new PC hardware features such as touchscreen notebooks and Microsoft’s Windows 8 platform has similarly failed to gain traction.

    This doom-and-gloom about he PC industry, however, is being balanced out by what consumer actually are purchasing – tablets.

    Market research firm NPD has released its latest estimates of the consumer PC market, showing that the overall segment has seen an impressive 25.4% increase over 2012 PC sales. This is a massive increase over the slight 3.1% growth NPD measured for the market segment in 2012. These numbers include desktop PCs, notebook PCs, and tablets together as a group.

    Obviously, most of the growth seen in the industry came from tablets, which are proving more popular than ever this year. NPD measured tablet sales as increasing 49% over 2012 sales, while desktop and notebooks saw only 8.5% and 28.9%, respectively. Tablet sales accounted for a full 22% of all “PC device” sales in November, showing just how popular such devices were on Black Friday.

    The growth in tablet sales was led this year by a variety of Android tablets, with this year was predicted to overtake Apple iPad shipments. Windows tablets, though, also increased their meager share of the market by a significant amount.

    Growth in the notebook segment was led by, of all things, Chromebooks. The smaller, more portable form-factor of the devices seems to appeal to consumers that are increasingly focused on mobile devices.

    “The market for personal computing devices in commercial markets continues to shift and change,” said Stephen Baker, VP of industry analysis at NPD. “New products like Chromebooks, and reimagined items like Windows tablets, are now supplementing the revitalization that iPads started in personal computing devices. It is no accident that we are seeing the fruits of this change in the commercial markets as business and institutional buyers exploit the flexibility inherent in the new range of choices now open to them.”

  • Tablet Growth to Slow in Coming Years

    The biggest tech success story of the past three years is undoubtedly tablets. Since the debut of the iPad the tablet industry has grown at a breakneck pace with shipments now set to top 221 million units this year.

    According to market research firm IDC this represents a massive 53.5% increase in shipments over units shipped in 2012. However, as quickly the industry has reached this level, its growth will also slow just as quickly as established markets reach their saturation points. IDC is predicting that tablet growth will slow to a 22.2% increase in unit shipments in 2014 and to single digits by 2017. The firm sees just over 386 million tablets being shipped in 2017.

    Much of the growth in tablets in the past two years has been in smaller 7- and 8-inch tablets that are more affordable for average consumers. As the tablet market slows, however, IDC believes that larger tablets could again become a focus. This is due to the rising display sizes seen on high-end smartphones. Though other analysts believe that smartphone displays will top out at under six inches and that smaller tablets will remain the preference, IDC is predicting that 7-inch tablets will give way to more capable smartphone handsets.

    “In some markets consumers are already making the choice to buy a large smartphone rather than buying a small tablet, and as a result we’ve lowered our long-term forecast,” said Tom Mainelli, research director for Tablets at IDC. “Meanwhile, in mature markets like the U.S. where tablets have been shipping in large volumes since 2010 and are already well established, we’re less concerned about big phones cannibalizing shipments and more worried about market saturation.”

  • Tablet Shipments Beat Out Mobile PCs This Year

    The PC market is declining rapidly, and it is easy to see why. With no compelling reason to upgrade PC hardware, consumers are turning to mobile devices such as tablets for more of their media consumption needs.

    More proof of this was provided today courtesy market research firm Strategy Analytics, which released a new report showing that tablet shipments have now overtaken mobile PC shipments. The report shows that tablet shipments this year will reach an estimated 231 million, far eclipsing the 186 mobile PCs that are expected to have shipped in 2013.

    “The tablet has become firmly ingrained in the consumer mindset, and is now seen as one of the key go-to devices for consumers who want to undertake computing tasks on a mobile device.” said Matt Wilkins, director of tablets and wearables at Strategy Analytics. “As a result, the processors architectures, operating systems, and form factor of the tablet are playing dominant roles in the MCD (mobile computing devices) space”

    Strategy Analytics predicts that the trend toward tablets and away from notebooks will continue for at least the next four years. The report also shows that the real winner in all of this could end up being Google. The company’s Android operating system currently dominates smartphone shipments, and momentum for the platform is building for tablet devices. Strategy Analytics is predicting that over 40% of all mobile devices shipped in 2017 will be running a Google operating system.

  • Tablet Market to Overtake PCs & Notebooks Combined

    The low cost and high usability of tablets has for some time now been taking sales away from more traditional PCs. The PC and notebook markets are now experiencing quarter after quarter of declining shipment numbers. Now, market research firm Canalys is showing just how dominant tablet technology has become.

    The firm this week released predictions showing that tablets will make up nearly half of the total global PC market, in which it also includes traditional PCs and notebooks. This means that almost exactly as many tablets are expected to ship next year (285 million) as total combined shipments for desktops and notebooks. Shipments will keep increasing, with predictions hitting 396 million tablets shipped in the year 2017.

    Canalys numbers currently put tablets at 40% of the PC market for the third quarter of 2013. Though competition is becoming fierce at the low end of the market and in emerging markets, the firm predicts that Samsung and Apple will continue to dominate the segment for years to come. The firm also points out as others have that while Apple is losing market share to competitors with a wider selection of tablets, the company’s premium pricing is keeping its revenue higher than that of competitors.

    “Apple’s decline in PC market share is unavoidable when considering its business model,” said Tim Coulling, senior analyst at Canalys. “Samsung narrowly took the lead in EMEA this quarter and Apple will lose its position to competitors in more markets in the future. However, Apple is one of the few companies making money from the tablet boom. Premium products attract high value consumers; for Apple, remaining highly profitable and driving revenue from its entire ecosystem is of greater importance than market share statistics.”

    (Image courtesy Apple)

  • Tablet Market Set For 20% Growth in Fourth Quarter

    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.

  • Global Tablet Growth Set to Slow in 2014

    Global Tablet Growth Set to Slow in 2014

    For the past two years the tablet market has ramped up significantly. The demand for tablet devices has even begun to eat into the traditional PC market, causing PC and Notebook shipments to decline for several consecutive quarters now.

    For all that growth, though it could be that the tablet market has nearly peaked in established markets. DigiTimes Research today reported that 289 million tablet shipments worldwide are expected during 2014. Though this represents over 23% year-over-year growth from 2013 tablet shipments it also represents a slowdown in overall market growth. According to DigiTimes, this could mean the tablet market has now reached “the maturity stage.”

    Market growth for tablets is now expected to shift to emerging markets such as China, Brazil, and India. The battle for brand supremacy will be fierce in those markets, with local white-box Chinese brands competing directly with big-name brands such as Samsung and ASUS.

    DigiTimes believes that the resources of big non-Apple brands will allow them to lower their prices significantly, perhaps even lower than white box brands. The firm predicts that non-Apple brand manufacturers will ship upwards of 105 million tablets next year, slightly edging out smaller Chinese brands.

    DigiTimes’ other predictions for the tablet market in 2014 aren’t surprising. The firm believes that Apple will continue to hold on to its market lead with Samsung following behind. Apple’s shipments are expected to stagnate at 80 million iPads, while Samsung is expected to ramp up shipments to more than 52 million tablets. The firm also backs up rumors of Lenovo ramping up tablet shipments, predicting that the manufacturer will take third place in 2014 with over 9 million tablet shipments.

  • Lenovo Could be Ramping Up Tablet Production

    Lenovo Could be Ramping Up Tablet Production

    The PC market is dwindling, with PC shipments now consistently falling quarter after quarter. Market watchers blame this decline on the rise of mobile devices, specifically tablets that can fulfill the basic web browsing needs of many consumers. PC manufacturers are now scrambling to find other sources of revenue.

    While HP and other manufacturers are now looking toward their enterprise solutions for the future, one PC manufacturer has actually managed to thrive throughout the decline. Lenovo earlier this year overtook HP for PC shipments and has been increasing its sales while others falter. Winning in a declining market isn’t enough for the Chinese company, though, and it now appears that Lenovo is squarely targeting the tablet market.

    A new DigiTimes report today states that Lenovo is now increasing its tablet component orders for the fourth quarter 2013. Component manufacturers are cited as stating most of the orders are for 8-inch tablets that Lenovo is expected to release sometime this holiday season. The tablet market is reportedly to become the focus of Lenovo’s future efforts.

    In addition to the PC market, Lenovo has been making strides in both the tablet and smartphone sectors.

    Though Lenovo does not own a large portion of the tablet market, it did come in a distant fourth in tablet shipments during the third quarter of 2013. It come in behind Apple, Samsung, and Asus’ Nexus 7.

    In the smartphone market, Lenovo is one of a number of Chinese manufacturers that are beginning to make up a large block of smartphone shipments. Lenovo and Huawei in particular are becoming major smartphone brands. Even without a BlackBerry acquisition Lenovo may be able to leverage its position in emerging markets to rise in the smartphone market the way it now has for PCs.

    (Image courtesy Lenovo)

  • Small-Brand Tablets Thriving in Emerging Markets

    Though the tablet industry as a whole is thriving, the market segment is already beginning to saturate is the world’s largest tech markets. For large-brand manufacturers of tablets, this could even mean a drop in year-over-year sales during the important holiday season.

    That situation isn’t affecting smaller tablet brands, however, which are seeing sales skyrocket in emerging markets such as China and India. A DigiTimes Research report today estimates that so-called “white-box” tablet manufacturers shipped a collective 25 million tablets during the third quarter of 2013. That’s up over 40% from white-box shipments in the third quarter of 2012.

    DigiTimes states that most of these white-box tablets are popular in places where consumers place a premium on low prices. Most of the tablets sold in these markets have 7-inch displays and lower hardware specs than even previous models of branded tablets.

    As well as small-brand tablets are currently selling, that is soon expected to change. Large-brand tablet manufacturers are expected to aggressively enter the market next year, offering low-cost tablet at competitive prices in emerging markets. Though manufacturing costs for tablets are still falling, DigiTimes also believes that low-cost tablet margins are as thin as they can possibly get. With these factors in play, even the white-box market will be forced to consolidate, with winning brands emerging as viable competitors in emerging markets. Even then, the tablet market is expected to saturate even more quickly than the smartphone market in the coming years.

  • Branded Tablet Shipments Predicted to Drop in Fourth Quarter

    Recent estimates for tablet sales have seen incredible growth, and analysts have predicted even more growth in the years to come. It’s strange, then, that today a prediction was released stating the tablet market will contract year-over-year during the fourth quarter.

    DigiTimes Research today predicted that tablet shipments from “major brand vendors” will reach only 42.2 million units during the fourth quarter of 2013. That’s a 2.5% drop from the number of tablets shipped during the fourth quarter of 2012, a quarter that saw high tablet sales cut into traditional holiday PC brand sales.

    DigiTimes’ report states that the market for top-branded tablets has “started maturing.” This could mean that markets where those branded tablets sell best could be becoming saturated even faster than the smartphone market has. Though many of these same manufacturers are scrambling to provide low-cost tablet solutions for the emerging markets (Brazil, China, India) where most of the market’s growth is predicted in the coming years, white box brands in those countries could end up benefitting the most.

    The report also shows that Apple will ship around half of all the tablets shipped during the third quarter due to its updated iPad Air tablet. This is despite the rumors that the new iPad Mini is in short supply due to problems manufacturing its new Retina display.

    Samsung will, of course, ship the second-most tablets during the fourth quarter. Amazon’s big push for its new Kindle Fire devices will propel it to third place, and Lenovo, Asus, and Acer will follow behind.

  • Tablet Market Still Growing Fast

    With the smartphone market beginning to saturate in larger western markets, manufacturers are increasingly looking to the tablet market for growth. With that in mind, market analysts this week have provided some mixed news for the industry going into the holiday buying season.

    Market research firm IDC this week estimated that 47.6 million tablets were shipped worldwide during the third quarter of 2013. These shipment numbers missed the firm’s prediction for the quarter, but still managed to grow the entire segment by around 37% over the same quarter in 2012. The third-quarter shipments also represent a 7% increase over the second quarter of this year.

    Apple is still unquestionably the market leader, though the company did post a slight quarter-over-quarter reduction in shipments, down to 14.1 million in the third quarter from 14.6 during the second quarter. The yearly growth represented by Apple’s third-quarter shipments, according to IDC, is less than 1%. Apple now represents less than 30% of the entire tablet market, while other tablet shipments have now eclipsed the company.

    As other analysts have noted, Samsung is firmly entrenched in second place for tablet market share. IDC estimates the Korean manufacturer shipped 9.7 million tablets during the second quarter, representing more than 20% of the total market. Though other brands (particularly Chinese ones) are raising their shipment numbers rapidly, it appears the tablet (and smartphone, for that matter) market will continue to be a battle between Apple and Samsung for some time to come.

    “With two 7.9-inch models starting at $299 and $399, and two 9.7-inch models starting at $399 and $499, Apple is taking steps to appeal to multiple segments,” said Jitesh Ubrani, research analyst at IDC. “While some undoubtedly hoped for more aggressive pricing from Apple, the current prices clearly reflect Apple’s ongoing strategy to maintain its premium status. It’s worth noting that Apple wasn’t the only one to increase the price of its small-sized tablet during this product cycle: Both Google and Amazon increased the price of their newest 7-inch tablets from $199 to $229 to cover the higher costs associated with high resolution screens and better processors.”

  • Apple Tablet Shipments Falling, Still Tops Others

    Earlier this week it was reported that all other tablet shipments combined outpaced Apple’s iPad shipments during the third quarter of 2013. Though this may again change during the holiday quarter now that Apple has announced its refreshed iPad lineup, the overall trend is likely to continue as Android tablet manufacturers expand their offerings.

    Today, market research firm IHS weighed in with its estimates, showing that Apple is still leading in tablet market share, despite losing market share during the third quarter. The firm estimates that the company shipped 14.25 million iPads during the quarter, a slight decrease from the estimated 14.62 million it shipped during the second quarter. The drop, though, means that Apple market share fell significantly, down to just unger 30% from 33.5% during the second quarter. Apple is now estimated to have shipped over 170 million iPads since the original device debuted in 2010.

    “The erosion in Apple’s unit shipment market share was inevitable,” said Rhoda Alexander, director for tablet research at IHS. “Cheaper almost always wins the volume race, and competitors were quick to adjust pricing when it became clear that it was impossible to achieve anything close to Apple’s unit growth at the same price level. The resulting surge in sub-$250 alternatives catapulted Android to the leading operating system in tablets in the third quarter of 2012, but left vendors searching for profit in an increasingly competitive market.”

    Samsung unsurprisingly has the second-highest tablet market share with 22.2% during the third quarter. The Korean company shipped an estimated 10.7 million tablets during the quarter. Samsung is estimated to have now shipped 54 million tablets since 2010.

  • Tablet Growth Estimate Tempered, Though Still High

    A number of recent reports have highlighted just how fast the tablet market is taking off. The growth rate for the segment is predicted to be higher than for the beginning years of the smartphone industry. Now, though, some market watchers are beginning to temper their high expectations for tablets.

    Market research firm DisplaySearch today released its quarterly mobile PC shipment forecast, and has lowered its long-term tablet outlook. The firm is reducing its growth estimates by around 9% each year from now until 2017. The new estimates hold that tablet shipments will reach 534 million in 2017, capturing over three-quarters of the mobile PC market.

    This is despite still forecasting a 30% increase in tablet shipments in 2013 compared to 2012. Global tablet shipments are expected to hit 255 million this year, while notebook shipments fall to just 160 million – only 36% of the mobile PC market, according to DisplaySearch.

    DisplaySearch lowered its expectations, it says, due to a reduction in the production of white box tablets in China. White box tablets are those generic tablets that lack a strong brand but are expected to sell well in emerging markets due to their low costs and prices. Though this does lower expectations for China’s growth as an emerging market, the firm still believes that China and the Asia Pacific region will receive up to half of global tablet shipments by 2015. This while North America and Europe combined will drop to 36% of the market by 2017.

    “Tablet PCs are gaining share at the expense of standard notebooks in key emerging regions where PC penetration rates are low,” said Richard Shim, senior analyst at DisplaySearch. “Parts of China and Asia Pacific, such as Indonesia and Thailand, are the new battlegrounds for PC shipment growth, and low-cost tablets are compelling alternatives to traditional standard notebooks in those regions.”

  • Retailers to Sell One-Third of Tablets This Year

    Retailers to Sell One-Third of Tablets This Year

    Tablets are now the hottest growth commodity in the tech industry. A recent Gartner report even showed that tablet growth is largely helping to offset the decline of the PC industry and pushing continued IT growth in 2013. Now it appears that electronics retailers, which have been struggling to keep up with the changing marketplace, might have a place in tablet sales channels.

    Market research firm Strategy Analytics today revealed its prediction that specialist electronics retailers will make up 35% of global tablet shipments this year. That’s more than any other sales channel, including direct manufacturer sales. The firm attributes this statistic to consumer buying habits, specifically customers comparison shopping between the growing variety of tablets on the market.

    “While the channel composition is complex, providing consumers with many ways to buy, consumers are clearly happy to buy Tablets from outlets where they can hold, touch and play with the devices”, said Matt Wilkins, Director of Tablets and Wearable Devices for Strategy Analytics. Wilkins went on to say that “…it is particularly important for first-time buyers to see the devices in the flesh, with competing models and price-points side-by-side.”

    Although electronics retailers will have a place in tablet sales channels they are also subject to “showrooming,” where customers shop at a physical retailer and then order from another retailer online. In addition, Strategy Analytics points out that online sales are more convenient in emerging markets such as China and Brazil, where retailers may not have a large physical infrastructure. The largest growth in the tablet market in the coming years is predicted to be from low-cost devices in those emerging markets.