The overall tablet market may be contracting in 2015, however the 2-in-1 detachable category has proven a bright spot, according to Strategy Analytics, which has forecast the segment will grow 91 per cent globally over the next five years.While mobile device heavyweights Samsung and Apple command a dominant portion of the overall tablet market, Strategy states the 2-in-1 category has proven a niche for traditional PC vendors such as Asus, Acer and HP, with growth to be delivered amid lower prices and better designs.
Strategy has forecast that 2-in-1 shipment volumes will grow from 11.5 million in 2015 to 22 million in 2019, with 2-in-1 tablets to exhibit a five-year compound average growth rate of 57 per cent, compared to a slate tablet compound average growth rate of 2 per cent.
This year, the overall tablet market is forecast to decline 4 per cent, with “modest” growth returning in 2016 due ” to more innovative designs and enabling technology in 2-in-1 and slate tablets alike”.
The Windows tablet market share is set to reach 10 per cent in 2015, with Strategy stating Microsoft has “legitimised the Windows-based tablet” with its Surface Pro 3 and Surface 3.
“The timing could not be better for 2-in-1 tablets as Windows 10 makes the multi-mode computing experience smoother, Intel’s Skylake processors hit the market at the end of 2015 and Windows tablets have become more cost-competitive with Android tablets,” Strategy tablet & touchscreen strategies service director Peter King stated.
“Windows provides a familiar environment for traditional PC vendors to compete in the tablet market and also gives CIOs a higher level of comfort when considering higher-end tablets in the commercial setting.”
