Google Glass, 'phablets' and smartwatches to hit tablet shipments in future: IDC

Tech research firm, IDC, in its latest report has forecasted that the growing wearable computing market with devices like Google Glass and smartwatches along with the increased preference for ‘phablet’ devices is going to affect the global shipment of tablets and take them down marginally in the near future

IDC has predicted that total tablet shipment worldwide would now be 227.4 million down by 0.8% from the firm’s earlier projection. According to New York Daily News, IDC’s forecast for 2017 went down by 0.7% to 407 million.

Research Analyst for IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker, Jitesh Ubrani said that year-on-year growth is beginning to slow as the tablet market approaches early stages of maturity. Recently analysts blamed Apple’s lack of innovative and newer tablet devices affecting the worldwide shipment of tablets manufactured by rival companies leading to a global slowdown.

Google’s smart eyewear, Google Glass which allows users to search the Web, take pictures and make calls much like tablets do in a relatively easier manner along with smartwatches are expected to fuel the cut down in tablet shipments. However, IDC said that this year’s forecast is on track to beat 2012 shipments by nearly 58%, the report added.