Tablet Sales Show Signs of Slowing Down

The desktop personal computer ( PC ) market is facing stiff competition from tablet computers, smartphones and even e-readers like Kindle. Total PC shipments for 2014 were estimated at 308.6 million, down 2.1% from the previous year.

Although desktop PCs remain better suited for such tasks as document production, sales of  smartphones and other mobile devices are skyrocketing thanks to their growing number of features, long-life batteries and reasonable prices. 

Tablet sales, while still substantial, were slowing as of late-2014. For the fourth quarter of the year, worldwide tablet shipments were estimated at 76.1 million units, down 3.2% from the same quarter of 2013. iPads and other high-end tablets are challenged by several factors, including:

1) Some consumers are switching to smartphones with larger than normal screens, such as the iPhone 6 Plus (sometimes called “phablets”), eliminating the need for a tablet.

2) For many users, tablets are not “must-have” devices. Consequently, they may be less likely to trade up for newer tablets to replace old models. Apple is working to boost sales by unveiling next-generation iPads (the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Mini), which are thinner, faster and have better fingerprint sensors that allows users to make purchases with apps using Apple Pay.

For more data and statistics on the InfoTech industry, see https://www.plunkettresearch.com/industries/computers-software-technology-market-research/

InfoTech industry almanac 2015

Plunkett's InfoTech Industry Almanac, 2015 Edition
647 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-62831-352-9
eBook ISBN: 978-1-62831-686-5
Price: $349.99
Publication Date: February 2015