Forecast on the Tablet Market: Will Amazon Catch Up with Apple?

A non-tech guy usually has a doubt as to what is the difference between a smartphone and a tablet? To put things into perspective, currently it’s more of a case wherein the two are converging towards a focal point. The major difference is with respect to the sizes. Tablets are bigger and are an option to carry along while smartphones are comparatively smaller and one usually carries it all the time.Settling that, there has been a stupendous increase in the number of smartphones and tablets in the US. Smartphones account for 40% of the mobile space now. Closer back home, tablets are now available at as low as Rs 5000! With this kind competition on price, the penetration is bound to increase exponentially. A recent GigaOM report provides some very interesting points forecasting the Tablet Market in 2016.

• Global tablet shipments to approach 366 million by 2016
• Intermediate projection stands at 173.5 million by 2013
• Amazon to see huge growth with about 92,000 shipments in 2016. Apple is predicted to remain the king with 1,80,000 shipments but a slower growth rate (This projection is based on the Amazon’s report claiming to have sold 4 million Amazon Kindle Fire’s in December 2011)
• This translates to a slump in market share for Apple from 73% in 2011 to 47.6% in 2016
• Going by Platform, Google Android seems set to overtake Apple iOS with 1,84,857 and 1,79,422 global shipments (Android is 100% of Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Motorola)
• By region, North America has a strong hold with 70% of total shipments but Asia Pacific is anticipated to take the lead by 2016

As compared to these global trends, a detailed view about the Indian tablet space up till June 2011 can be found here and it might turn out to be a bit different from expectations.