Tablet growth is thing of the past

Analyst claims there is "no reason to believe" market will grow again in the short term

There is no hope that the tablet market will return to growth mode any time soon, according to Canalys.

The analyst said that in Q2 of this year, global shipments slumped 11 per cent annually to 42.5 million units. Shipments in all global regions fell annually in the quarter, and the outlook for the months ahead is not positive.

There is "no reason to believe that growth will return in the short term," the analyst said.

It claims the slowing in the market is partly down to large-screen mobiles taking a bite out of the market and the fact the larger devices will have to compete against a range of two-in-one devices optimised for Windows 10.

But despite the grim outlook, the market is not dead, according to Canalys' senior analyst Tim Coulling.

"Despite the sudden downturn in shipments, tablets are certainly here to stay," he said. "Yes, they have matured and commoditised quickly, but there are still opportunities for vendors to profit from the category.

"Unlike consumers, businesses have been slow when it comes to mass adoption of tablets. They are willing to spend more on products that satisfy a specific need and meet key requirements, around durability for example. In the consumer space, demand for premium tablets in established markets has noticeably slowed but is not going to disappear."