The sales of tablet computers may be
leveling off, with shipments dropping 35.7% when the first quarter of 2014 is
compared with the 2013 holiday season, according to International Data Corp. (IDC)
Apple has shipped 16.4 million iPads since
the first of the year, but that’s a drop of more than three million over the
first quarter of 2013, while Samsung increased its first-quarter shipments to
11.2 million.
At the same time, phablet sales are on the
rise, which the IDC report suggests is a direct threat to tablet sales. Phablets
combine the smartphone and tablet into one device, using a display screen of 6
in. or larger. The three Galaxy Note phablets from Samsung have sold well, with
devices from HTC, LG, Nokia, and Sony also becoming big sellers.
IDC also said replacement cycles for
tablets have become an issue. Manufacturers usually implement modest upgrades to
the devices, making it easier for consumers to hang on to older models for
longer periods of time.
“The rise of large-screen phones and
consumers who are holding on to their existing tablets for ever-longer periods
of time were both contributing factors to a weaker-than-anticipated quarter for
tablets,” said Tom Mainelli, program vice president for devices and displays at
IDC. “In addition, commercial growth has not been robust enough to offset the
slowing of consumer shipments.”