iPad Seen as 'Weakest Link' in Stagnating Tablet Market
IDC on Thursday reduced its five year forecast for worldwide tablet shipments following the tablet market's first year-over-year decline in the fourth quarter. The research firm estimates that 234.5 million tablets will be shipped during 2015, representing marginal growth of 2.1% from 2014.
Android is expected to remain the market leader among platforms throughout the course of the forecast, whereas the iPad is predicted to be the "weakest link" and see its volume share of the market continue to decline in 2015. IDC believes that iOS will drop from its present 27.6% market share to 23% through 2019.
The research firm also estimates that Microsoft could see its worldwide tablet market share nearly triple from 5.1% today to 14.1% market share in 2019 on the strength of Windows 10. IDC research director Jean Phillippe Bouchard claims Microsoft will slowly gain a foothold by delivering a consistent experience across all devices and platforms.
"Microsoft is doing a lot of good things right now and we believe the launch of Windows 10 later this year will not only have a significant impact on Microsoft's share of the market, but on the industry as a whole," said Bouchard, Research Director, Tablets. "There is an appetite for a platform that can provide a productivity experience that remains consistent across multiple form factors and device types, and we believe Microsoft is well positioned to capture some of that demand."
iPad momentum fell flat in the fourth quarter as overall tablet market growth continues to decline. iPad sales have declined for four consecutive quarters, and Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri cautioned investors during its latest earnings call that iPad sales are unlikely to see a dramatic year-over-year improvement in the near future. Nevertheless, it is rumored that Apple could have two new iPad in the works in an attempt to reinvigorate tablet sales.
First and foremost, Apple is expected to release the much-rumored "iPad Pro" later this year with a larger 12.9-inch screen and faster A8X processor. Meanwhile, a questionable rumor from last week claims that the company may release an iPad mini 4 with an A8 processor and 802.11ac Wi-Fi in the near future, after some users expressed disappointment that Touch ID was virtually the only new feature on the iPad mini 3.
Popular Stories
Game emulator apps have come and gone since Apple announced App Store support for them on April 5, but now popular game emulator Delta from developer Riley Testut is available for download. Testut is known as the developer behind GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that was available for a brief time more than a decade ago. GBA4iOS led to Delta, an emulator that has been available outside of...
iOS 18 is expected to be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. iOS 18 is rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri and many apps, and Apple plans to add RCS support to the Messages app for an improved texting experience between iPhones and Android devices. The update is also expected to introduce a more...
The first approved Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator for the iPhone and iPad was made available on the App Store today following Apple's rule change. The emulator is called Bimmy, and it was developed by Tom Salvo. On the App Store, Bimmy is described as a tool for testing and playing public domain/"homebrew" games created for the NES, but the app allows you to load ROMs for any...
Apple today said it removed Game Boy emulator iGBA from the App Store for violating the company's App Review Guidelines related to spam (section 4.3) and copyright (section 5.2), but it did not provide any specific details. iGBA was a copycat version of developer Riley Testut's open-source GBA4iOS app. The emulator rose to the top of the App Store charts following its release this weekend,...
Last September, Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models debuted with a new customizable Action button, offering faster access to a handful of functions, as well as the ability to assign Shortcuts. Apple is poised to include the feature on all upcoming iPhone 16 models, so we asked iPhone 15 Pro users what their experience has been with the additional button so far. The Action button replaces the switch ...
A week after Apple updated its App Review Guidelines to permit retro game console emulators, a Game Boy emulator for the iPhone called iGBA has appeared in the App Store worldwide. The emulator is already one of the top free apps on the App Store charts. It was not entirely clear if Apple would allow emulators to work with all and any games, but iGBA is able to load any Game Boy ROMs that...
Top Rated Comments
Say things like apple is doomed for a real effect
Doesn't help that Apple still charges $500 for a 16GB tablet.
Doesn't help that Apple keeps iPad 2 and above updated.
Doesn't help that the iPad is built to last.
Doesn't help that the market is way over saturated with iPads.
Doesn't help that the core design and function has remained the same since introduction.
Doesn't help that Apple released a 5.5" iPhone.
Doesn't help that the iPad does not replace a computer.
Doesn't help that the iPad has become boring.
Did I miss anything?