The PC tablet takeover won't just be relegated to developed countries like the U.S. and England, revealed NPD DisplaySearch. According to the research firm, global tablet sales will skyrocket over the next five years, with developing nations to nearly split shipments down the middle.
Of the 383.3 million tablets expected to flood the retail chain in 2017 (more than quintuple the 72.7 million devices produced last year), DisplaySearch said 46 percent of them, or 176 million, will head to Russia, Brazil, India and other emerging economies. The group's Tablet Quarterly reports estimated that approximately 26 million tablets were sent to developing regions in 2011.
"The emerging market opportunity for tablets has been flying under the radar mainly because the device brands aren't household names and there are concerns regarding the sustainability of the market," said Richard Shim, DisplaySearch senior analyst. "However, we are beginning to see investments by some of the better known brands in developing regions, and we expect this to not only continue but to flourish as competition improves."
NPD In-Stat Chief Technology Strategist Jim McGregor added that emerging market growth will coincide with the release of devices which can be purchased in those regions for the equivalent of $100 or less.
The researchers also noted that China and other Asian countries lead the way in tablet adoption, with other nations to play catch-up. Turkey in particular could become a big consumer of tablets thanks to an educational system revamp called The FATIH Project, analysts said.
Apple and Microsoft both met with Turkey's Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan last year to stump for the right to help the project meet its ambitious goal of 15 million tablets for students - slightly less than the 15.4 million iPads Apple sold during the latest holiday season. (via DisplaySearch)
