Tablets to outsell PCs for first time next year
New report from Gartner forecasts tablets to outsell desktop computers and notebooks next year despite slowing growth
Tablets will outsell desktop computers and notebooks for the first time next year despite the rate of growth beginning to slow, a new report from Gartner forecasts.
The research firm predicts a total of 320 million tablets will be sold to consumers worldwide in 2015, beating the total sales of personal computers which are expected to sell 316 million units.
The prediction has been made despite the rate of tablet sales growth slowing this year, with tablets expected to shift around 256 million units in 2014, 23.9% up on last yearâs sales figure of just over 206 million.
The report states this slowing of growth to be attributable to lower demand for tablets with smaller screens in more mature markets, with larger screens now being favoured in Europe and the Americas while phablets continue to be popular across South-East Asia.
Product price is also set to play an important role in sales growth with a number of manufacturers looking to rival the likes of Apple and Samsung with cheaper models, such as Tescoâs Hudl tablet and Amazonâs range of Kindle devices.
âThe next wave of [tablet] adoption will be driven by lower price points rather than superior functionality,â Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner, said.