Figures released on Thursday by International Data Corp (IDC) showed that the global tablet market continued to slump last quarter.
Shipments of tablets and “two-in-one” devices that combine tablet and laptop features sank to 47.1 million in a drop of nearly 6 percent from the first three months of last year, according to the market tracker.
“Although the tablet market is in decline, two-in-ones are certainly a bright spot,” IDC senior research analyst Jitesh Ubrani said. “While two-in-one, or detachables, still account for a small portion of the overall market, growth in this space has been stunning.”
The analyst said that companies such as Asustek Computer Inc (華碩), Acer Inc (宏碁) and E-FUN Inc have scored with value-priced two-in-one devices, while Microsoft Corp has seen success at the high end of the market with the Surface Pro 3.
Sales of Apple Inc’s iPads have suffered from buyers preferring iPhones or Mac laptop computers, according to IDC.
Apple shipped 12.6 million iPads in the quarter, compared with 16.4 million in the same period a year earlier, the market-tracker reported.
IDC said it expects iPad sales to continue to shrink until an innovative new model, perhaps with a larger screen, is introduced.
Chinese computer titan Lenovo Group Ltd (聯想) was one of the few tablet makers seeing growth in the declining overall market thanks to a diverse product line and low-price offerings, IDC said.
Lenovo shipped 2.5 million tablets in the quarter compared with 2 million shipped during the first three months of last year, IDC reported.
The Chinese company is to introduce a new tablet to be sold at Wal-Mart Stores Inc, as it seeks to double its market share in North America.
The tablet expands the company’s existing product line, Lenovo North America president Aymar de Lencquesaing said on Thursday in an interview.
He declined to specify pricing, but said it would be less than an iPad.
“I look at market penetration in the US and we have a lot of room to grow,” he said.
Lenovo, the world’s largest maker of personal computers, already sells its products through Walmart.com, and the tablet is a way to enter stores and reach customers more directly, Lencquesaing said.
It also presents an opportunity as consumers increasingly view tablets as addition to computers rather than a replacement, he said.
Seeking to build its name recognition for the product, the Chinese company is also increasing social media engagement and marketing efforts, Lencquesaing said.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
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