Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile

    Tablet Market Continues to Shrink Around the World: Report

    By
    Todd R. Weiss
    -
    May 20, 2015
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      tablet sales decline

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      The global tablet computer market has shrunk for the second quarter in a row, with Apple and Samsung selling 23 percent and 30 percent fewer tablets respectively, according to a new report from ABI Research.

      Apple’s iPad shipments in the first quarter of 2015 hit 12.62 million iPads, which is a drop of 23 percent from the same quarter one year prior, according to ABI. Apple shipped 21.42 million iPads in the fourth quarter of 2014, which was an 18 percent drop from the same period one year prior.

      Samsung fared similarly, with a 30 percent decline in tablet sales for the first quarter of 2015, compared to the same period one year prior. For all tablet makers overall in Q1, tablet sales are down 13 percent across the board compared to a year ago, according to ABI.

      “There is no denying the market is losing its momentum,” Stephanie Van Vactor, a mobile devices analyst with ABI, said in a statement. “The market is in the process of going through a transition as developed markets shift to a refresh / replacement cycle. In addition, vendors are feeling the squeeze due to new devices gaining traction in the market that are in direct competition with tablets, for example, 2-in-1s, phablets, and Chromebooks.”

      Van Vactor told eWEEK that the tablet sales figure drops were larger than she expected. Some of that decline was likely caused by consumers buying other devices instead, such as Apple’s iPhone 6 smartphones, which were released last September and have sold in record numbers. At the same time, Van Vactor said she does not expect tablet sales to again reach the larger sales volumes that they were hitting just a few years ago.

      A major reason for the lower sales figures is that once consumers have tablets, they find little need to upgrade or replace them if they are still operating, she said. “They last a long time and there’s no incentive really for people to have to refresh them. If their tablet is working perfectly they don’t get any carrier perks to refresh it.”

      For most consumers, upgrading their primary computing devices, such as desktops or laptops, is more important to them, said Van Vactor. “I don’t think [consumers] are getting bored, but there is a much longer refresh cycle on these devices.”

      Also affecting tablet purchases is that enterprises and consumers appear to be finding that tablets are not a replacement for laptops and desktops, which makes them more casual devices that don’t need to be replaced as often, she said.

      “Tablets really never stuck in the enterprise as much as people originally anticipated,” said Van Vactor. “We saw some interest in the education market at one point, but Chromebooks have really taken off, especially in the education sector,” compared to tablets. “[Chromebooks] are just more functional and cheaper and are secure and can be customized for education. [Tablets] definitely aren’t as functional and you have to buy a keyboard.”

      Though tablets have faltered in the marketplace, Van Vactor said she does not see them disappearing. “Some people absolutely love them, but it’s definitely that casual device for users. They’re not going to have that growth that they had when they first appeared. They’re not going to replace laptops and ultrabooks. I just don’t see that happening in the market anytime soon.”

      One interesting segment in the tablet marketplace are 2-in-1 devices, which combine a tablet and a laptop into one device, giving users both tools, said Van Vactor. “I think 2-in-1’s can have a little bit more of an impact in the market. They seem to be picking up very well.”

      In January, a Gartner report reached similar conclusions about tablet sales, which the company said will likely decline over 2015, according to an earlier eWEEK report. Worldwide tablet sales are expected to hit 233 million devices in 2015, up 8 percent from 2014, but quite a bit fewer than the numbers seen in the previous few years, Gartner reported.

      Todd R. Weiss
      As a technology journalist covering enterprise IT for more than 15 years, I joined eWEEK.com in September 2014 as the site's senior writer covering all things mobile. I write about smartphones, tablets, laptops, assorted mobile gadgets and services,mobile carriers and much more. I formerly was a staff writer for Computerworld.com from 2000 to 2008 and previously wrote for daily newspapers in eastern Pennsylvania. I'm an avid traveler, motorcyclist, technology lover, cook, reader, tinkerer and mechanic. I drove a yellow taxicab in college and collect toy taxis and taxi business cards from around the world.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×