Tablet sales dive, but Windows might just ride to the rescue

[vcfan]

Summary:Apple and Samsung tablet sales have declined, but the market may bounce back with help from Microsoft.

 

 

It's official: tablets are on the slide. First analysts IDC and now Canalys have pointed to a slowdown in slate sales in the final quarter of last year. According to Canalys, worldwide tablet shipments slid 12 percent year-on-year to 67 million in the fourth quarter of 2014. Industry watcher IDC has also said the tablet market declined in the last quarter of last year, although it calculated the drop to be smaller, at 3.2 percent.

 

 

Tablet leader Apple's year-on-year iPad shipments declined by 18 percent according to Canalys, while second-placed Samsung could not replicate its tablet success of Q4 2013, seeing a decline of 24 percent to 11 million units.

 

Apple's tablets still accounted for 30 percent of the market in the quarter

 

 

And while the PC was once thought to be dead and buried, hybrid and two-in-one notebooks are making gains.

 

 

In addition to the slowdown at the top of the tablet market, the low end, mostly comprising 7-inch Android devices, also suffered significant declines: this sector has been hit hard by the growth of giant-screen smartphones - a.k.a. 'phablets' - and what Canalys described as "intense price competition", which has vaporised margins.

 

 

The tablet market continues to twist and turn: IDC expects to see some growth in the tablet market this year thanks to Windows 10 and larger tablets. Fellow analyst Gartner also expects eight percent growth in tablet sales this year.

 

 

For its part, Canalys predicts that growth is likely to come in 8-inch-plus tablets and Windows tablets, which saw shipments hit six million in the fourth quarter of 2014, to just over nine percent market share.

 

Microsoft's own-branded devices accounted for just over a third of worldwide shipments of Windows tablets as Surface Pro 3 sales continued to gain momentum.

 

http://www.zdnet.com/article/tablet-sales-dive-but-windows-might-just-ride-to-the-rescue/

[simplezz]

Sure sure. In another universe where the Zombie Apocalypse has happened perhaps.

 

The tablet market continues to twist and turn: IDC expects to see some growth in the tablet market this year thanks to Windows 10 and larger tablets.

The same IDC that predicated that Windows Phone would have 20% marketshare by now?   That pretty much sums up the credibility this thread.

[Mockingbird]

 

Microsoft's own-branded devices accounted for just over a third of worldwide shipments of Windows tablets as Surface Pro 3 sales continued to gain momentum.

 

The PC makers seem to be lacking imagination as to making 2-in-1 devices that people actually want to buy. There's the Microsoft's Surface Pro, Lenovo's Yoga, and Asus's Transformer.

 

Everyone else seems to be concern with making as many cheap junk as it can.

 

[George P Global Moderator]

You can argue the predictions but you can't deny the sales numbers being posted, the iPad keeps tanking, proved by Apples own quarter reports, Samsung isn't doing any better either. 6 million Windows tablets being sold sounds spot on to me, and shows that it's growing. There's a number of good Windows devices coming out this year, many were shown at CES.

The PC makers seem to be lacking imagination as to making 2-in-1 devices that people actually want to buy. There's the Microsoft's Surface Pro, Lenovo's Yoga, and Asus's Transformer.

 

Everyone else seems to be concern with making as many cheap junk as it can.
 

I'd add Dell into that, maybe Acer to with what they showed at CES this year.

[Mockingbird]

You can argue the predictions but you can't deny the sales numbers being posted, the iPad keeps tanking, proved by Apples own quarter reports, Samsung isn't doing any better either. 6 million Windows tablets being sold sounds spot on to me, and shows that it's growing. There's a number of good Windows devices coming out this year, many were shown at CES.

I'd add Dell into that, maybe Acer to with what they showed at CES this year.

 

Okay. And Dell's Inspiron

[Dot Matrix]

Well, considering that the iPad is unchanged since its conception, this isn't surprising. Microsoft was the one to change what we think about tablets, and they'll push that even harder with Windows 10.

[Torolol]

surely you forget about this?

• PC = Tablet, Tablet = PC

I do hope tablet will continues to sink, so MS would finally admit that it was their mistakes to bring Tablet UI to PC.

[Mockingbird]

I think that part of the problem is Windows 8.1 is not as optimized for touch as it should be.  Sure, the most used part of the OS are updated for touch, but there're a lot of legacy menus that aren't.

 

Want to change some obscure settings using touch? Well, too bad since Microsoft didn't update those settings for touch.

 

Microsoft need to go in with a fine tooth comb and make sure everything is navigable using touch.

 

It's not that unbelievable: Microsoft can just make some legacy menus have bigger touch targets while keeping the menus mostly the same.

[siah1214]

surely you forget about this?

• PC = Tablet, Tablet = PC

I do hope tablet will continues to sink, so MS would finally admit that it was their mistakes to bring Tablet UI to PC.

 

Some serious reading comprehension issues there, eh buddy?  Windows tablet sales are increasing. 

[Torolol]

Some serious reading comprehension issues there, eh buddy?  Windows tablet sales are increasing.

sure, but was WT sales make up for the rest of declining tablet sales?

[Mockingbird]

sure, but was WT sales make up for the rest of declining tablet sales?

 

And how is this relevant?

 

If 100 tablets were sold last year, 10 of which run Windows and this year only 80 tablets were sold, but 15 of them run Windows, then it's great for Microsoft and PC makers.

[Knife Party]

Some serious reading comprehension issues there, eh buddy?  Windows tablet sales are increasing. 

Yes windows tablets sales are increasing, but they account for like a tiny margin of the actual tablet market compared to ipad or samsung tablets. Also, the Surface is too expensive, not well known (Aka the FOX news and SuperBowl scandals of them covering Surfaces with ipads). ALso there are no competitors to any ipad level, and one that consumers are attracted to proportionally to the ipad's popularity.

 

Most windows tablets have slow atom intel processors and generally are plastic designed nightmares. Windows tablets are also filled with OEM crud, so yeah, those Competitive Windows 10 tablers sure will change the market! /s

[Mockingbird]

I think that Asus has winners on it's hand. What's taking Asus so long to release them anyway?

 

http://blog.laptopmag.com/asus-transformer-book-chi-hands-on

[siah1214]

Yes windows tablets sales are increasing, but they account for like a tiny margin of the actual tablet market compared to ipad or samsung tablets. Also, the Surface is too expensive, not well known (Aka the FOX news and SuperBowl scandals of them covering Surfaces with ipads). ALso there are no competitors to any ipad level, and one that consumers are attracted to proportionally to the ipad's popularity.

 

Most windows tablets have slow atom intel processors and generally are plastic designed nightmares. Windows tablets are also filled with OEM crud, so yeah, those Competitive Windows 10 tablers sure will change the market! /s

If the Surface is so overpriced why has it turned into a billion dollar per quarter business for Microsoft? Considering it's cheaper and better than a Macbook air. iPad sales are plummeting, and those "cheap plastic Atom tablets" are breaking sales records for Asus:

http://www.maximumpc.com/asus_revenue_hit_record_high_november_strong_transformer_book_t100_sales

 

Does putting my points in bold make me more correct?  It's worth a shot. 

 

 

sure, but was WT sales make up for the rest of declining tablet sales?

Do they have to?

[Sikh]

The PC makers seem to be lacking imagination as to making 2-in-1 devices that people actually want to buy. There's the Microsoft's Surface Pro, Lenovo's Yoga, and Asus's Transformer.

 

Everyone else seems to be concern with making as many cheap junk as it can.

 

 

This has been true for MANY years, so not surprising 

[Mockingbird]

Most windows tablets have slow atom intel processors and generally are plastic designed nightmares. Windows tablets are also filled with OEM crud, so yeah, those Competitive Windows 10 tablers sure will change the market! /s

 

Actually, the Bay-Trail Intel Atom processors perform surprisingly well.

 

What is wrong with it is everything else: too little RAM (1GB shouldn't be allow on new devices), poor construction material, lousy touchscreen.

[George P Global Moderator]

One thing to keep in mind is that cheap tablets don't cut it, and people aren't rushing to buy the expensive nice ones. When they do get one they like they're also less likely to buy a new one next year. This is different from the phone market which sees users upgrade to new phones every 1-2 years.

 

I've still got this original Samsung Ativ 500T tablet, it's 2 years old and I'm not looking to replace it with something else just yet. But I am looking for a new phone later this year.

[siah1214]

I own a t100, it's a great little tablet that performs surprisingly well.  Runs office great, does light gaming (Half Life 2 on max settings is very playable, newer games you have to turn stuff down but they run), and is perfect for web browsing. I paid $250 for it, and no complaints here. 

[vcfan]

I think that Asus has winners on it's hand. What's taking Asus so long to release them anyway?

 

http://blog.laptopmag.com/asus-transformer-book-chi-hands-on

 

that is really really nice

[techbeck]

I don't take much stock in analysts/predictions like this. Shall see how things are later in the year.  A lot will depend on how Win10 does and price will make a difference as well. 

 

Personally, I can do everything I need to mobile wise on my cell. I only use my tablet to read books, stream music/movies, and a few other things.  Having adequate storage space at a good price is important to me as well.   But as tablets designed to be a laptop replacement become more popular, then I am sure the prices will drop.

 

We are starting to use them more at work tho.  Currently setting up a new system/server that people are using Surfaces on the floor to check in to a database to look up parts and status on projects/equipment being built.  Saves them a lot of time using a tablet then having to keep running back to their desks or using a terminal.  I use a Surface as well in meetings as it is easier than lugging my laptop around.

[ATLien_0]

Here is the thing with tablets, very few use a tablet as their main personal computer, some do, but not all. Most buy them as a companion device. Now the biggest thing is that these are not phones, they can't be treated under the same 2 year life cycle. Take the ipad for instance, I had a first gen ipad up until my work gave me a newer one, but besides that the first gen ipad worked for everything I needed it to be. I used it mainly when I traveled when I didn't want my laptop, worked great for checking email, social networks still even after a few years battery life was still great.

 

With that said people aren't going to go out of their way to buy a new tablet unless there is something really something really better out there . Two in Ones are a great alternative

[Mockingbird]

These devices can get a foothold in the education market if marketed correctly.

 

Think about a typical student who needs to travel from class to class.

 

What she would want want/need

 

*productivity (write documents, do research, etc.)

*consumption (read textbooks, watch movie, etc)

*recall (take notes, etc)

 

There devices could replace 1). laptops  2). tablets  3.) paper notebooks --- all in a single convenient package.

[Mockingbird]

that is really really nice

 

Not only that, but the T300 Chi and the T100 Chi also support optional Active Pen.

[Knife Party]

If the Surface is so overpriced why has it turned into a billion dollar per quarter business for Microsoft? Considering it's cheaper and better than a Macbook air. iPad sales are plummeting, and those "cheap plastic Atom tablets" are breaking sales records for Asus:

http://www.maximumpc.com/asus_revenue_hit_record_high_november_strong_transformer_book_t100_sales

 

Does putting my points in bold make me more correct?  It's worth a shot. 

 

 

Do they have to?

Fantasy Land, Fantasy Land. What more to say about you Windows Fanboys. You love to think up nonsense and love to reply by not being on point. Windows tablets are cr%p end of story, and have been so many "insert x" amount of years. Until they come with good offerings

[siah1214]

Fantasy Land, Fantasy Land. What more to say about you Windows Fanboys. You love to think up nonsense and love to reply by not being on point. Windows tablets are cr%p end of story, and have been so many "insert x" amount of years. Until they come with good offerings

Replying to documented facts using your own conjecture and then saying I live in fantasy land. 

It's a bold strategy, I commend your use of it.