SEOUL, KOREA - The growth of the global tablet computer market, which slowed this year due to the impact of large-screen smartphones, is expected to rebound to a double-digit growth next year.
According to U.S. market strategy firm Strategy Analytics on November 20, this year’s global tablet sales are forecast to reach 247.7 million units, up 8.9 percent from a year ago.Strategy Analytics predicted that the global tablet sales would pick up again next year to 291.4 million units, up 17.6 percent year on year.
Next year’s main driver behind the growth of the tablet market is estimated to be low-priced models.
The market share of Apple and Samsung Electronics stood at 22.3 percent and 17.6 percent, respectively, in the third quarter of this year, down 4.8 percentage points and 2.6 percentage points each from a year ago.
In contrast, “white box” tablets—low-price models without a brand—regained the top spot with a share of 29.9 percent.
Article provided by The Korea Economic Daily
