IDC India has come up with new data which reveals that tablets aren’t doing quite well in the country anymore. The report notes that sales have dropped and the main reason behind this is that the market is struggling to attract new buyers.
According to the data provided, a total of 0.78 million tablet units were sold during Q1 2014. As big as the number looks, it’s a year-on-year drop of 32.8% compared to sales figures from Q1 2013. Karan Thakkar, Senior Market Analyst of Tablets at IDC India, notes that despite the sluggish performance, international brands such as Samsung and Apple have seen good growth. The ones affected here are the branded vendors.
Where market share is concerned, Samsung still reigns supreme having 22.5%, thanks to its wide portfolio of devices in the 7- to 8-inch categories. At second place is Apple that has a measly 6.8% with the iPad mini and Air showing strong performance. And at number 3 is Micromax that managed to secure 8.87 of market share. The report estimates that two-thirds of sales are a result of the company launching a new model in Q1.
Phablets are one of the reasons behind the drop in tablet sale in India. The IDC notes that handsets with screens of 5.5 to 6.99 inches are more compelling options compared to large screen slates. In other news, the IDC has reported that India is continuing as one of the fastest growing smartphone markets in the Asia Pacific region. Shipments have seen a YOY growth of 186% in 1Q 2014 with feature phones on a decline to 71% from 90% share in 1Q 2013.