Skip to main content

Media Tablets Make Way for Low-Cost Chromebooks

Given the recent announcement that Intel will support the launch of new high-performance low-cost Google Chrome devices, perhaps Chromebooks and associated cloud services will become the new high-growth segment of the consumer electronics industry.

Meanwhile, sales of media tablets have apparently peaked.

Worldwide media tablet plus 2-in-1 device shipments slipped to 50.4 million units in the first calendar quarter of 2014 (1Q14) according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC).

The total represents a sequential decline of -35.7 percent from the high-volume holiday quarter and just 3.9 percent growth over the same period a year ago.

The slowdown was felt across all tablet operating systems and screen sizes and likely points to an even more challenging year ahead for the product category.

"The rise of large-screen phones and consumers who are holding on to their existing tablets for ever longer periods of time were both contributing factors to a weaker-than-anticipated quarter for tablets and 2-in-1s," said Tom Mainelli, Vice President at IDC.


In addition, commercial growth has not been robust enough to offset the slowing of consumer shipments.

Apple maintained its lead in the worldwide tablet plus 2-in-1 market, shipping 16.4 million units. That's down from 26.0 million units in the previous quarter and well below its total of 19.5 million units in the first quarter of 2013.

Despite the contraction, the company saw its share of the market slip to 32.5 percent, down from the previous quarter's share of 33.2 percent.

Samsung once again grew its worldwide share, increasing from 17.2 percent last quarter to 22.3 percent this quarter. Samsung continues to work aggressively with carriers to drive Android tablet shipments through attractively priced smartphone bundles.

Rounding out the top five were ASUS (5 percent), Lenovo (4.1 percent), and Amazon (1.9 percent). In summary, with roughly two-thirds share, Android continues to dominate the market.

Popular posts from this blog

How Savvy Pioneers Lead the Future of Work

Hybrid and fully remote work are inevitable in the Global Networked Economy where high-performance talent demands flexibility from employers. To enable these progressive work models, organizations are investing in a wide range of technologies to support more agile types of employment.  According to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), leading organizations will spend nearly $1 billion on the Future of Work (FoW) in 2023 -- that's an increase of 18.8 percent over 2022. Future of Work Market Development "Work models continue to evolve, but 37 percent of decision-makers in a recent global survey note that Remote and Hybrid work models will be an embedded part of accepted work practices, supported by a continued shift to the cloud, increasingly instrumented and interconnected physical workplaces, and intelligent digital workspaces," said Holly Muscolino, group vice president at IDC . According to the IDC assessment, organizations must mak

Human Resource Transformation Enabled by IT

Many senior executives are taking a proactive approach to digital business transformation in order to achieve their strategic goals. Delivering revenue growth and profitability is now imperative for every function, including Human Resources (HR). The top 3 priority HR technologies this year are skills management, learning experience platforms, and internal talent marketplaces, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. "With a tumultuous global economy, HR technology leaders face a balancing act in 2023," said Sam Grinter, director at Gartner . "Leaders must anticipate greater levels of accountability and demand for measurable outcomes to justify new technology investments." HR Transformation Market Development Forty-four percent of HR leaders report driving better business outcomes is their number one strategic priority for HR technology transformation over the next three years. Growth in headcount and skills (26 percent) and cost optimization (17 p

Virtual Reality Market Set to Reach $100 Billion

Virtual Reality (VR) market growth is now finally coming to fruition. Thanks to current actions and market momentum, VR is approaching what can be considered critical mass. And, not a moment too soon. This growth momentum comes from new hardware and content releases, accelerating enterprise value recognition, and a significant metaverse wild card that could potentially lift adoption and usage. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, over 85 million VR Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) will be shipped in 2027 across consumer and enterprise segments, creating a $100 billion VR market that includes hardware, software, and services. Virtual Reality Market Development "Expectations have been high in VR for years, and even decades, without notable growth to show. That growth is finally coming over the next five years," said Eric Abbruzzese, research director at ABI Research . The barrier to entry is lower than ever, all while content performance and user experien