Although we keep writing about them all the time, tablets are still far from reaching the mainstream consumer. As a matter of fact, according to In-Stat – in 2017 tablet shipments will approach 250 million units which is like nothing compared to smartphone figures. However, this won’t stop the major consumer electronic players like Samsung, LG, HTC and of course Apple to release new products on a regular basis.
The research company’s Chief Technology Strategist Jim McGregor noted that the tablet market and its associated ecosystem are still evolving. “Over the next few generations we will see more differentiation between devices that are targeting different market segments and usage models. In addition, competitive device and service pricing will bring tablets into the mainstream consumer and enterprise markets,” he added.
In-Stat has also found that:
- In the consumer segment, tablets are competing against all consumer electronic and computing devices, not just PCs.
- The combination of mobile applications, new semiconductor technology, and the full Internet experience are key factors in empowering the tablet market.
- The 9-inch to 11-inch form factor is forecasted to be the dominant tablet form factor with 56% of the market in 2017.
- iOS and Android are forecast to maintain over 90% of the market share with Windows as a distant 3rd.
- Not supporting one of the leading OS platforms is likely to lead to the failure of several companies in the tablet market due to lack of application support.
- Wireless operator business models could have a tremendous impact on future tablet demand.
And you can get additional details from this page at In-Stat’s website.