IDC reports global tablet shipments are to reach 211.3 million units in 2015, a -8.1% drop following 3 consecutive quarters of declining WW tablet shipments in 2015.
However, while the device category appears to be on the wane the analyst points out at least one growth opportunity-- tablets with detachable displays.
"We're witnessing a real market transition as end users shift their demand towards detachables and more broadly towards a productivity-based value proposition," IDC says. "The proliferation of detachable offerings from hardware vendors continues to help drive this switch. We're starting to see the impact of competition within this space as the major platform vendors-– Apple, Google and Microsoft-- now have physical product offerings."
Making such devices attractive are customer-friendly pricing (including sub-$100 detachables) and platform innovation. As such, IDC predicts the segment will grow by over 75% in 2016.
The detachables trend brings about two other key trends-- the growth of Windows tablets and turnaround of the iPad. The analyst says Windows-based device (combining traditional and detachable tablets) market share will double by 2019, driven by PC OEMs and smartphone vendors. In the meantime the only iPad market share growth driver will be the iPad Pro, a device strictly aimed at select enterprise and prosumer audiences.
