Tablet sales will continue slow this year, reaching an estimated 8 percent year-on-year growth to 233 million units, according to a study by Gartner, which said the PC market will grow 1 percent. The steep drop in the last few years was attributed to extended tablet lifetimes and a lack of innovation.
To counter this trend, Gartner expects device vendors at the CES in Las Vegas to announce new partnerships to develop innovative apps that will use personal data to tailor user experience. The researcher also sees vendors developing more personal customer relationships, boosted by developments in cognizant computing and personal cloud services.
Worldwide combined shipments of devices (PCs, tablets, ultramobiles and mobile phones) will hit 2.5 billion units this year, an increase of 3.9 percent from 2014.
The mobile phone segment is on pace to grow 3.7 percent this year and reach 2 billion units in 2016. Gartner forecasts an increasing polarisation in the smartphone market between high and low-end market price points, with shrinking or limited opportunities for those in the middle.
In the operating system (OS) market, Android passed 1 billion device shipments last year, and will continue to grow at a double-digit pace this year, with a 26 percent increase year over year.Windows will this year grow faster than iOS, as the PC market stabilises, Gartner said.
