Market research firm IDC said it has lowered its forecast for tablet sales in 2014 almost halving its estimate of how many will ship.
The reason for that, according to the company, is that buyers in mature markets are contributing to flatness. The estimate now is that 233.1 million units will ship – its previous estimate was a year on year 12.1 percent growth rate. It’s lowered that rate to 6.5 percent now.
But while the “mature markets” are showing a slowdown, IDC said that other regional markets will hit a 12 percent growth rate.
More use of tablets in emerging markets will sustain that 12 percent figure.
IDC estimates that average selling prices will level out at $373 in mature markets but fall in other regions to $302.
Jitesh Urbani, senior research analyst at IDC said that the world outside Western Europe and North America will account for the majority of shipments this year. “But in terms of dollars spent, medium to large sized devices in North America and Western Europe will still produce significant revenues,” he said.
