According to the latest IDC forecast, tablets may not reach their previously estimated 229 million units in 2013, but it’s probably not because of the reasons most people think. The experts seem to think that when a new wave of wearable tech hits the market, it’s going to have an affect on the tablet market. Not only that, but IDC believes that phones with larger screens are functioning as both phone and tablet for some consumers, which further reduces the need for tablets. Throw in the fact that aren’t very many new tablets that will be available for the holidays and it’s easy to see how the shipments may not be as high as what was originally expected.
Now, to put this in perspective, the estimates are still sitting at around 227 million, so total units are only down about 2 million. The bigger picture here is to look at the trends of these tablets, though, not necessarily the shipment amounts. IDC has found that in mature markets, like the US, tablet sales are slowing down and losing market share to emerging markets such as Asia. Once the market gets so saturated, less new devices are going to be sold. Of course, if wearable watches and glass turn out to be the next big thing, we could see the exact reports for Google Glasses and Galaxy Gears in the next few years.
source: TechCrunch
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