Tablet to be dominant form factor in 2013

33 million more tablets than notebooks will ship this year, says analyst

The tablet will usurp the notebook as the world's dominant PC form factor in 2013, driven by a surge in sales of the new class of 7in to 8in models.

That is according to analyst NPD Display Search, which projects that 240 million tablets will ship in 2013, compared with 207 million notebooks.

That represents a 64 per cent growth on 2012.

The tablet market has been built on the success of Apple's 9.7in iPad but NPD Display Search said tablets with 7in to 8in screen sizes will account for 45 per cent – or 108 million units – of the market this year, a sector Apple entered in October with its iPad Mini.

In contrast, 9.7in devices will account for just 17 per cent of shipments this year, it said.

NPD Display Search said the rapid development and adoption of new screen sizes had allowed both large and small brands to create new demand for tablets.

"As the variety and demand for new screen sizes increases, so will market growth in emerging markets," it added. "Having passed EMEA in 2012 to become the second-largest market for tablet PC shipments, China will have 27 per cent of the global tablet market in 2013 with shipments of 65 million units, driven by small local brands."

Tablet shipments already surpassed those of notebooks in 2012 in both China and North America, which will remain the largest market this year with a projected 35 per cent share, NPD Display Search added.

Its lofty expectations for 7in to 8in tablet devices are seconded by rival market watcher iSuppli, which in October predicted that sales of 7in devices will mushroom from 34 million to 67 million this year.