Tablet sales on the rise as PC's become less preferred

The combined worldwide shipments of PCs, tablets and mobile phones are anticipated to jump 5.9% to cross 2.35 billion units in 2013, a new report has revealed.

Tablet shipments are expected to be the major beneficiaries with a projected 67.9% growth at 202 million, along with the mobile phone market, which is projected to rise by 4.3% to more than 1.8 billion units, Enterprise Innovation reports.

The new research findings released by research firm Gartner stated that sales in tablets, smartphones and to a little extent, ultra-mobiles, were the major factors of market growth amidst the decline of PC shipments.

On the other hand, global shipments of desk-based and notebook PC's are predicted to fall down by 10.6 percent at 305 million units.

However, demand for ultra-mobiles, which is bound to come from upgrading of notebooks and premium tablets, such as the Apple iPad or Galaxy Tab10.1, can help the PC market in the world scenario.

However, the tablet and the smartphone markets are not free from challenges with respect to consumers shifting from premium tablets to basic tablets, with iPad Mini already piling up 60 percent overall iOS sales in the first quarter of 2013.

Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner, said that the increased availability of lower priced basic tablets, plus the value add shifting to software rather than hardware would result in the lifetimes of premium tablets extending, as they remain active in the household for longer. He further added that we would see consumer preferences split between basic tablets and ultramobile devices.

Forecasts were also made on a 72% growth in computing devices bought by consumers in 2013 from a previous 65%, which signified the growing importance of designing for consumers inside the enterprise.