Falling prices and display technology advances will lead to higher tablet shipments "increasingly" replacing notebook PCs in 2014 and beyond, NPD DisplaySearch reports.
According to the analyst global 2014 tablet shipments will reach 315 million units, making over 65% of the combined tablet/notebook market, before reaching 455m units by 2017 while encompassing nearly 75% of the market.
Meanwhile tablet ASPs should fall from $311 in 2014 to $296 in 2017, boosting adoption in emerging regions, namely E. Europe, MEA and China. Display technologies will also be more varied (including oxide, LTPS and AMOLED), with a variety of screen sizes and resolutions.
“Momentum for the tablet PC market is in full swing as it has become the dominant mobile PC form factor,” the analyst says. “Competition is expected to increase as traditional notebook PC brands, including Lenovo, HP, and Dell update their product portfolios to emphasize tablet PCs."
DisplaySearch reports 2014 notebook shipments will decline by around -7%. Touch-enabled notebooks fail to increase demand, with 2013 penetration of less than 10%, resulting in weaker expected demand for both standard and ultra-slim notebooks.
Such weak forecasts should force vendors to re-evaluate ASPs-- according to the analyst standard notebook ASPs are to rise from $667 in 2013 to $693 in 2014, while ultra-slim models will rise from $885 to $936.
Go NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report
