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Tablet Shipments Decline For 13th Straight Quarter (venturebeat.com)
The tablet market has now declined year-over-year for 13 quarters straight. From a report: Q4 2017 saw a 7.9 percent year-over-year decline: 49.6 million units shipped worldwide, compared to 53.8 million units in the same quarter last year. The only silver lining is that declines for 2017 haven't been in the double-digits, like they were in 2016.
I remember the days when ./ headlines told me the PC was on the way out as tablets were the new thing to replace them. I remember getting modded as a Troll when I posted that PCs weren't going anywhere because tablets were a solution in search of a problem. Those were the days.
What are they qualifying as a tablet? I didn't see any mention of the Microsoft Surface line so I'm assuming Android/iPad. One of the reasons for the decline is Windows tablets are getting good enough to replace traditional laptops negating the need for a laptop for work and an additional tablet for lighter activities. I suspect Chromebooks are also eroding the tablet space at the low end for those who need a keyboard. I have stopped using all my tablets since acquiring a 10" Windows tablet a few years ago. I was shocked (not really) when Apple finally released the iPad Pro and gimped it with iOS.
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
That is exactly the problem.
My last tablet broke, and I am looking for a replacement: HiDPI screen, 9" or 10", light enough to hold, contemporary amount of RAM (4GB or more).
And where are all those tablets? There is the obscenely expensive Pixel C has been discontinued., and the only slightly less expensive Galaxy Tab S3 does not provide a proper Android experience. Amazon also discontinued the HDX, which never provided a great Android experience. Only cheap Android tablets are left on the market.