Worldwide tablet sales are beginning to slow down

The global market for tablet computers went into hibernation in early 2014, ending a long run of sizzling growth, a survey showed. The IDC report said sales of tablets including newly introduced convertible PCs totaled 50.4 million units in the first quarter of 2014. That was just 3.9% higher than the same period a year earlier, and down 35.7% from the busy holiday season that included the fourth quarter of 2013. 

The latest market research is clear on what’s happening in the tablet market and there is some cause for alarm: Worldwide tablet plus 2-in-1 shipments slipped to 50.4 million units in the first calendar quarter of 2014 (1Q14) according to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker. The total represents a sequential decline of -35.7% from the high-volume holiday quarter and just 3.9% growth over the same period a year ago. The slowdown was felt across operating systems and screen sizes and likely points to an even more challenging year ahead for the category.