Tablet shipments forecast to top notebooks

The 2013 worldwide tablet shipments are estimated to reach 240 million units, compared to 207 million notebooks, DisplaySearch said in a research report.

For the first time ever, the report said, tablets will grab a global market share of over 50 percent this year, up from about 38 percent in 2012 and 26 percent in 2011.

DisplaySearch also anticipates a hefty 64-percent annual growth for tablet shipments in 2013, saying that an increased variety of choices will help drive rapid growth in the sector.

“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 will drive shipment growth in 2013 to 64 percent year-on-year,” the report said.

Noting that increasing global demand for tablets has opened up the market for a range of players, both large and small, the report forecast that tablets with 7” to 8-inch screens will replace Apple Inc.'s 9.7-inch iPad as the dominant models.

The combined market share of tablets with 7-inch through 7.9-inch screens will reach 45 percent, while 9.7-inch tablets like the traditional iPad will account for a share of about 17 percent, with shipments estimated at 41 million units, the report forecast.

The remaining 38 percent of the market will be shared by a wide variety of sizes of tablets, ranging from 5.6 inches to 13.3 inches, according to the report.

It further said that North America will remain the biggest tablet market in 2013, accounting for around 85 million units and a 35-percent share.

But the report added that emerging markets will also play a big role in tablet market growth. Driven by local manufacturers, China will account for 65 million units and a 27 percent slice of the global shipments, the report said.

While notebook shipments have been hurt by sluggish demand worldwide, even in emerging markets, the report said, the sector might see a recovery of some of the demand in the second half of the year.

Notebook vendors are expected to add more and more tablet features to their notebooks, such as instant-on, all-day battery life and sleeker form factors, the report said, adding that the definition of a tablet versus that of a notebook will become increasingly fuzzy this year.

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