IDC: Tablet sales remain strong, but growth is slowing

IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker for Q4 2013 show that growth in the tablet market is slowing as larger markets like the US reach saturation. Apple, though, still leads the way, beating out competitors Samsung, Amazon, ASUS and Lenovo in worldwide market share. Worldwide tablet shipments grew to 76.9 million units in Q4 2013, which is a 62.4% quarterly increase and 28.2% yearly increase. Though this growth is impressive, it is lower than the 87.1% growth rate reported in the same quarter last year. IDC views this drop as a sign that the tablet market is reaching saturation, especially in mature markets. “It’s becoming increasingly clear that markets such as the U.S. are reaching high levels of consumer saturation and while emerging markets continue to show strong growth this has not been enough to sustain the dramatic worldwide growth rates of years past,” said Tom Mainelli, Research Director, Tablets, at IDC. Apple led the way in tablet sales with the shipment of 26 million iPad units in Q4 2013. This translates to a 13.5% year-over-year increase. Apple’s worldwide market share for the quarter grew to 33.8%, up from the 29.7% recorded in Q3 2013. The Cupertino company beat out rival Samsung, which grabbed an 18.8% worldwide share. Rounding out the top five tablet makers were Amazon, ASUS and Lenovo with 7.6%, 5.1% and 4.4% market share, respectively. Continue reading →

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