Worldwide Detachable tablets market to grow 73% in 2016. Windows 53.3%, iOS 28.5%, Android 18.2%

The chart below is a projected forecast year to year of the detachable worldwide market share from 2016 to 2020. Data might change at the end of the year 2016

Worldwide tablet shipments will drop to 195 million units in 2016, down -5.9% from 2015, according to a new International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker forecast. 

Looking beyond 2016, IDC expects the overall market to return to positive growth, albeit single digit, driven by growing demand for detachable devices. This somewhat hybrid category that brings together slate tablets and PCs is expected to grow from 16.6 million shipments in 2015 to 63.8 million in 2020.

"Beyond the growing demand for detachable devices, we're also witnessing an increase in competition within this segment that will help drive design, innovation, and a decline in average prices," said Jean Philippe Bouchard, Research Director, Tablets. 

 "At the latest Mobile World Congress, we saw new entrants, like Alcatel and Huawei, coming from the mobile space and expanding their portfolio to address the demand for detachables. Everyone in the industry recognizes that traditional personal computers like desktops and notebooks will potentially be replaced by detachables in the coming years and this is why we will see a lot of new products being introduced this year."

The change from slate form factor to detachables will bring along two other changes to the tablet industry. First, devices with larger screen sizes (9" and above) will experience growth throughout the forecast while those under 9 inches will decline. And second, Microsoft-based devices will begin taking share from the other platforms, most notably Android.

"This momentous shift in form factor will bring along the first significant impact of Windows-based devices that the tablet market has seen," said Ryan Reith, Program Director with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Device Trackers. 

 "Windows 10 seems to be making headway in both the PC and tablet markets, mainly driven by devices with larger screen sizes. Despite the free licensing on products under 9 inches the growth for Windows-based tablets will be primarily on devices with displays between 9 and 13 inches. 

Until we see a day where touch is introduced for Mac OS X and inroads are paved to bring Android and Chrome more closely aligned, we believe Windows remains the logical choice for detachable products."

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Forecast: 2013: Androids tablets leading worldwide market share, says IDC. Chart.

Forecast: 2013:  Androids tablets leading worldwide market share, says IDC. Chart.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

According to the latest forecast from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker, worldwide tablet shipments are expected to reach 221.3 million units in 2013, down slightly from a previous forecast of 227.4 million but still 53.5% above 2012 levels. Shipment growth is forecast to slow to 22.2% year over year in 2014 to a total of 270.5 million units. By 2017, annual market growth will slow to single-digit percentages and shipments will peak at 386.3 million units, down from the previous forecast of 407 million units.

One key factor to watch going forward is the mix of small vs. large tablets. The market has trended toward small tablets in a big way over the last 24 months, but the rise of large phones could well push consumers back toward larger tablets as the difference between a 6-inch smartphone and a 7-inch tablet isn't great enough to warrant purchasing both. Apple's launch of the iPad Air, a much thinner and lighter version of its 9.7-inch product, could herald another market transition back toward larger screens, presuming consumers are willing to pay the higher costs associated with bigger screens.

"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, Tablets. "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."

A transition toward larger tablets could be a positive development for Windows tablets, which generally benefit from a larger screen area. Even so, Windows-based tablets are not expected to steal share from tablets running iOS and Android until the latter part of the forecast.

"For months, Microsoft and Intel have been promising more affordable Windows tablets and 2-in-1 devices," said Jitesh Ubrani, Research Analyst, Worldwide Tablet Tracker. "This holiday season, we expect a huge push for these devices as both companies flex their marketing muscles; however we still don't expect them to gain much traction. We're already halfway through the holiday quarter, and though there have been some relatively high-profile launches from the likes of Dell, HP, and Lenovo, we've yet to see widespread availability of these devices, making it difficult for Windows to gain share during this crucial period."

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Regions Covered:

Worldwide

Topics Covered:

Android, Tablet PC, Windows Mobile, iOS

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