Tablet PC Market Forecast to Surpass Notebooks in 2013 – NPD DisplaySearch

Tablet PC shipments are expected to reach more than 240 million units worldwide in 2013, easily exceeding the 207 million notebook PCs that are projected to ship, according to NPD DisplaySearch’s Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report. In a market that has been dominated by one major player, Apple, shifting market dynamics are creating the opportunity for a greater variety of choices, which NPD predicts will drive shipment growth in 2013 to 64% Y/Y.

The report notes that rapid development and adoption of new screen sizes is allowing both large and small brands to gain market traction in all regions and create new demand for tablet PCs. The tablet market has been led by Apple’s 9.7-inch iPad, but in 2013 a new class of small tablets will take over the market. Tablet PCs with 7-8-inch screen sizes are expected to account for 45%, or 108 million units of the market in 2013, overtaking the 9.7-inch size which will account for 17% share, or about 41 million units.
As the variety and demand for new screen sizes increases, and so will market growth in emerging markets. Having passed EMEA in 2012 to become the second-largest market for tablet PC shipments, China is projected to have 27% of the global tablet market in 2013 with shipments of 65 million units, driven by small local brands. However, North America will remain the largest market with a 35% share (85 million units) in 2013. In both China and North America, tablet PC shipments surpassed notebook PC shipments in 2012.

Notebook PC shipments have been slowed by declining demand worldwide, reaching even emerging markets where low penetration rates could have stimulated demand. However, increasing tablet PC adoption is stymieing notebook PC growth NPD says. The second half of 2013 may provide a respite as new processors aim to bring more tablet PC-like features, such as instant on, all-day battery life, and sleek form factors, to notebook PCs.

“The tablet PC market saw increasing investments in North America in the second half of 2012, from major brands that tested not only new screen sizes and price points, but also unconventional business models to support their efforts. The subsequent increase in shipments and demand underscored the benefits of segmentation in the market as it drove rapid market expansion,” says Richard Shim, senior analyst with NPD DisplaySearch. “In 2013, further investments are expected worldwide, stoking demand to the point that tablet PC shipments will exceed those of notebook PCs.”

The DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report covers the entire range of mobile PC products shipped worldwide and regionally. With analysis of global and regional brands, the Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report provides an objective, expert view of the market with insight into historical shipments, revenues, forecasts and more. For more information about the report, contact Charles Camaroto at 1.888.436.7673 or 1.516.625.2452, e-mail contact@displaysearch.com or contact your regional DisplaySearch office in China, Japan, Korea or Taiwan or for more information, visit:
http://www.displaysearch.com/

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For more information on The NPD Group’s latest market research, including its recent press release on the companys Consumer Electronics Holiday Sales Report, visit: http://goo.gl/LBkzO