A report out lately by market researcher Forrester predicts that tablets is on track to blossom in emerging markets, especially China. The think tank believes that emerging markets will account for 40% of tablets sold in 2016.
Conventional thinking tagged tablets as “content consumption device” that used in “lean back” mode, however, tablet-tailored apps like Apple’s iWork and Adobe’s iPad apps are pushing iPad into creation model. Forrester thinks that by 2016 that mobile devices will surpass PCs to become the majority of devices used for work, at the same time, Microsoft’s share of the overall device OS market will fall below 50% as Apple is establishing a strong enterprise presence, ending Microsoft’s dominance in the area.
While in some’s eyes smartphones should be the central device in the future with its mobility and connectivity, Forrester held tablets in high regard. It seems to the thinking tank that the small screen and short batter life – two things won’t change too much in the next four years – of smartphones resulted in smartphones’ losing attraction to people as a central device. On the other hand, tablets will rule because they’re a) Natural to use and easier to share, especially on the go; b) Mobile, portable, and have all day battery life; c) Flexible for both content consumption and sufficient creative, productive work.
Some highlights in the report:
- Almost one-third of tablets will be sold directly to businesses in 2016.
- Most individual purchasers will use their tablet for work as well as at home.
- Tablets will blossom in growth markets, particularly China.
- in 2016, We’ll Buy 375 Million Tablets Globally and Be Using 760 Million Tablets
- Innovative PC form factors, such as ultralight laptops, are growing.
- First-time computer buyers will start with tablets, not PCs, especially in emerging markets.
- Existing PC users will defer some PC purchases in the near term, but the effect will decline.
- Apple will be the leader while Google’s Android ecosystem will struggle in tablets and focus on low price markets.
- Amazon and others’ proprietaryAndroid tablets surpass Android ecosystem sales in 2014 and Microsoft’s Windows Metro tablets will accelerate in 2014.