IDC: market for tablets is barely growing

The market for tablets has barely grown last year. This is according to figures from analyst firm IDC. While the tablet market has shown significant growth in recent years, the number of tablets delivered has increased by less than 4 percent in recent months.

About 50 million tablets were delivered to retailers in the first three months of the year, compared to between 48 and 49 million in the same period last year, claims IDC. This brings growth to 3.9 percent, compared to 142% last year.

IDC is guessing that growth is due to the popularity of large smartphones that make tablets obsolete for many people and because people spend longer with tablets than with smartphones, making them less likely to buy a new one.

Apple remains the market leader with its iPad line and sells almost one in three tablets worldwide, but sees the gap with Samsung narrowing. Samsung’s sales have grown by 32 percent, according to IDC – Samsung itself does not list them – and now sells 22 percent of its tablets. Lenovo is also the largest grower and is said to have sold a few million tablets last year.