Tablet market growth is shrinking, and iPad is the weakest link

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iPad Air 3 will be the smartest iPad yet.
Will the iPad rebound in 2015? Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Tablet sales are on the decline, and the iPad is “the weakest leak,” according to the latest report from International Data Corporation.

The organization has scaled back its five-year forecast for tablets, expecting market growth to come to a near standstill. With 234.5 million units expected to be sold in 2015, the tablet market will only gain a modest 2.1 percent year-over-year.

Photo: IDC
Photo: IDC

Apple’s market share is expected to decline for the first time in 2015, putting it at its lowest level in three years. Rumors have claimed Apple is working on a bigger iPad with advanced features to help rekindle sales, but some experts doubt it will be the answer to Apple’s prayers.

Android is expected to remain the leading platform on tablets, closing in on nearly two-thirds of the market by 2019. Microsoft is also expected to gain a foothold, thanks to increasing demand in the commercial sector. IDC estimates Surface tablets will comprise 14.1 percent of tablet sales by 2019.

“Despite the growing popularity of phablets, there still remains a portion of the market that wants to use a larger device so they can tailor their experience to the appropriate screen size,” said Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst, Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker.

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