With tablet sales in decline, many are wondering exactly where the tablet market went wrong.
Tablets were expected to be the new PC. However, a slowdown in sales shows that perhaps that was wishful thinking. Despite this drop in tablet sales, it's fair to say that Apple has managed to avoid any problems.
Reaping up 80 percent of tablet profits, Apple is well ahead other tablet manufacturers, which are instead focusing more on smartphones.
The reason for this is perhaps that Apple has the most innovative and consumer-friendly tablet on the market. With such a large market share, it must be doing something right.
The reason for the decline in tablet sales is quite simple -- most people who might be interested in buying a tablet have done so and they're holding on to them longer than manufacturers had hoped. And, the oversized smartphones called phablets have also made inroads on tablet sales, Tech Times reports.
Many tablet vendors were hoping tablets would be the next PC. In fact, when tablets first started coming out almost 25 years ago, vendors stood behind them with the hopes consumers would find them interesting. Vertical markets such as police, fire and manufacturing found tablets most useful. Not only that, but 25 years later tablets still aren't the PC replacement vendors envisioned.
Apple is likely having continued success due to the fact that it produces a great "general purpose tablet." It can do almost anything the general consumer wants it to. While iPads certainly do end up in some specific markets, most people are comfortable using them as multipurpose tablets.
Despite the lack of sales in consumer tablets, business tablets are set to increase in sales over the next few years, with Android, iOS and Microsoft tablets set to make a big impact on the segment.
On the one hand, Microsoft is a company the business world is used to. Most businesses have Windows-powered computers, and the fact Microsoft tablets work with other Microsoft services makes integration easy. For example, Microsoft's new Surface Pro 3 sports great integration with other Microsoft products, and it includes a keyboard, which is vital in the business world.
On the other hand, Android tablets make up most of the tablet markets sales. The platform has a lot to prove when it comes to business, although it might be important for people to be using the same platform that they do at home as compared to what they use at work.
Lastly, Apple's iOS tablets are set to make a big impact on the business tablet market, especially considering the deal that Apple has just made with IBM to make industry-specific apps that run on iOS. This deal will likely boost Apple tablets into the business world, establishing Apple tablets as the "business tablet."
