Tablet sales are still dropping, but detachables offer hope

Tablet sales have been declining for years and there's no sign of that stopping any time soon. Research and data company IDC has just released its latest report on the tablet market, and it paints a bleak image. According to the company, the second quarter of 2017 showed a continued drop in tablet sales, and that despite new cheaper iPads and other slates from popular companies. Tallying up the numbers from across the globe, the tablet industry experienced a 3.4% decrease in sales compared to the same period last year.

During the second quarter of this year, the global tablet industry shipped 37.9 million units, seeing a decline across the board including in 'detachable' tablets used as part of 2-in-1 hybrid laptops. IDC notes that consumers aren't replacing their tablets as often as they do smartphones and, to a lesser degree, laptops, meaning any growth a company does see may be only a temporary victory.

Overall, the firm says that 3 out of the 5 major tablet vendors saw an increase in their annual growth in the market, and price was the biggest reason for this growth. However, companies are having to increasingly compete for consumers who are upgrading their devices rather than buying tablets for the first time; the latter category has become 'a rare commodity,' according to IDC. The industry is largely looking toward the 2-in-1 detachable market for salvation.

Apple managed to reap some of those coveted device upgrades via the launch of its new iPad models during the quarter, trigging some of its customers to upgrade their slates to newer models. Samsung, too, saw growth in its share of the market via 'sustaining flat growth' while other competitors saw a decrease. Both Apple and Microsoft currently trump Samsung when it comes to detachables, though the Korean company still outpaces some others on the list like Lenovo and Huawei.

Detachable tablets are beneficial for companies not just due to their appeal on the consumer market, but also due to their higher average selling price when compared to ordinary slates. IDC says that Lenovo saw a boost in its share of the detachable market though the company experienced overall declines on an annual basis.

Amazon has earned itself a place near the top of the list by heavily targeting the kid-friendly part of the market, offering bundled tablets that include G-rated content for young users. Huawei also managed to take a spot in the top-five list by etching away at Lenovo's position, though IDC notes that its careful attitude around detachable tablets hasn't made it much of a force in that category.

Overall, Apple managed to nudge its market share up from 25.4% in the second quarter of 2016 to 30.1% in the second quarter of 2017. Samsung saw far more modest increases, rising only from 15.4% to 15.8%. Huawei, though holding a much more modest share of the market, saw a bigger increase from 5.3% to 8%. Lenovo, by contrast, saw a decrease in market share, dropping from 6.5% in 2016 to 5.7% in 2017.

SOURCE: IDC