New research report says tablet sales have peaked

As new technology form factors like smartwatches and virtual reality headsets continue to grab the attention of the industry, one piece of hardware that has faded from the limelight is the tablet. Even Apple’s devices have been hit by the lack of interest on the part of buyers according to a new research report from Forrester Research, although Lenovo has managed to buck the trend.

Forrester points to several issues that could be having an impact on tablet sales and why they may have reached a plateau. One of those issues is replacement rates for tablets which are lower than smartphones. This is likely driven by a lack of new features or significantly improved hardware from earlier generations to what is available now.

Another factor seems to be increasing interest in large screen smartphones, sometimes referred to as “phablets.” Though not for everyone, consumers who opt for larger devices like Samsung’s Note series, the iPhone 6+, the Lumia 1520 from Microsoft may be using them as a substitute for an additional tablet device. Forrester says 11 percent of information workers consider their “phablet” device to be their tablet.

Forrester did identify some opportunities for manufacturers who are looking for profits from tablets. According to the report, businesses are continuing to make more use of the devices and at least half of employees reported using a tablet at least once a week for work. Approximately 29% of businesses provide tablets to their employees for work use.

Business interest in tablets may be what helped Lenovo grow sales of their tablet devices while the rest of the industry went flat or fell. Lenovo’s devices tend to have larger screens and they have a focus on productivity solutions.

Do you use a tablet on your job or would it make your job easier to have one? Let us know in the comments.

source: TechCrunch

Come comment on this article: New research report says tablet sales have peaked