Ever since 2015, there has been a boom in demand for 2-in-1 tablet form factors as Microsoft and several of its OEM partners refined the hardware design just in time for the introduction of Windows 10. While this wave of 2-in-1 Tablets and Pro Slates have rewarded winners in the market with higher revenues and generous margins, only a handful of vendors can continue serving the enterprise and prosumer markets with devices priced in the $1000 range. Without price declines, further growth will be severely restrained.
We believe that vendors, component manufacturers, and retailers can successfully broaden the market with more 2-in-1 Tablet and Pro Slate models to a wider swath of consumer needs and price tolerance. Vendors and retailers/channel partners must assess and plan for the threats they face in the crowded premium market. Those most profitable players will understand the type of consumer they want to reach and what marketing and distribution strategies should accompany that strategy. Component manufacturers and software developers must also understand essential user pain points to anticipate needed changes for winning designs. Unnecessary features or new features entirely missing from current models could be the difference between success and failure in a hyper-competitive market.
In this report we forecast shipments by Form Factor (e.g., Slate, 2-in-1 Tablet, Pro Slate, Clamshell) across the period of 2010-2021 as the Tablet vendors attempt to transform the device into a productivity solution. This report covers 6 regions of North America, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Central & Latin America, Central & Eastern Europe, and Africa & Middle East. This report is published during Q4 2017, following actual Q3 2017 results. It updates and supersedes the Tablet Form Factor Shipment and Installed Base Forecast by Region 2010-2021: Q3 2017 Update report published in August 2017.