Bigger tablets could breathe new life into the market

The tablet market has been shrinking for a while now, but a recent shift in the industry may breathe new life into the tablet market. Apple, Google, and Microsoft have released high-end tablets in recent months that feature abnormally large screens and PC-like capabilities, which has actually drawn a surprising amount of consumer interest. The iPad Pro and new Surface products have been specially popular, which industry tracker IDC believes is because more people are using their tablets for productivity rather than casual entertainment.

When reports first emerged that Apple was building a larger iPad, some expressed concerns about the reception to enormous tablets as the overall market for the touchscreen devices declined. But less than two months after Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp., and Alphabet Inc. introduced larger tablets with PC-like abilities, evidence is suggesting strong demand. While the overall tablet market is still in decline, high-power tablets may be sparking a paradigm shift in the industry: Devices like the iPad Pro, Microsoft’s Surface Book and Alphabet’s Pixel C could spur sales of higher-end tablets that seek to also function like laptops in terms of productivity. Global shipments of tablets are projected to fall by 8.1% year-over-year to 211.3 million this year, yet the market for detachable tablets, which includes all of those devices, is expected to double in size over the next year, according to new estimates from industry tracker IDC. The transition to detachable tablets signals a shift in how people are using the touchscreen machines, from casual interaction to productivity, IDC research director Jean Philippe Bouchard said. This is one reason why companies like Apple and Microsoft, which also makes the Surface Pro 4 tablet, are marketing these higher-end tablets to creative and corporate professionals.