The US is the biggest tablet market in the world, and it is poised to grow even bigger to around 72 million by 2018, new research data compiled by Transparency Market research has revealed. Sales of tablet PCs have been growing steadily ever since the iPad was launched in 2010, and it is expected to surpass sales of notebook PCs soon.
The reasons are obvious. Tablet PCs are compact and portable with enough of battery life on most devices to last at least a whole day. Performance levels have enhanced significantly since the first iPad was launched so that the latest iPad 4 with A6X dual core chip with quad core graphics is offering performance several times better than its predecessor. What is more impressive is that the improvement has happened in just the three years time that the segment has been a reality.
Another reason for the tablet segment to grow by leaps and bounds is its multitasking ability. A tablet can be the perfect entertainment device, which can be used to get along with a plethora of tasks. These include ebook reading, playing games, listening to songs, or watching videos. The easy availability of a wide range of apps has only added to the scope of using the device.
Coming back to the data Transparency Market research has come up with, while the segment size stood at around 34 million in 2012, it could jump to 72 million by 2018. Also, while Apple has maintained a leadership position in the segment since its inception, that could change by 2018 when Android could be seen taking the lead. Also, while tablets with 10 inch sized displays have made up the bulk of the market, that could also change with more and more cheap 7 inch tablets coming on to the scene.
Another interesting change we can witness in the not so distant future is more acceptance of the device among the entrepreneurs. The business community has been slow in making the tablet PC an inherent part of the business, but the next wave of tablet sales push is likely to be from the business segment.
However, the biggest change could be the way the segment itself is shaping up with the emergence of the Windows 8 platform together with devices such as the Surface. With Windows 8 and the Surface line of tablets, Microsoft is opening up a whole new aspect of tablet ownership—that of content creation. So far, tablets are known more as devices designed for content consumption. What we will be seeing next are tablet devices that will change the way we see computers.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
