Tablet sales drop for everyone

Since the device’s debut in 2010, Apple has sold over 210 million iPads, about twice as many than iPhone sales during its first four years. The iPad, alongside its competitors, made the tablet the most successful consumer electronic product ever.

However, the tablet market is currently going through a slowdown in sales.

Apple reported a one-sixth drop in sales last quarter from the same period of last year, generating $7.6 billion, while Microsoft is facing tougher time, going through a 40% drop of its Surface tablet sales. Amazon, on the other hand, is going neither up nor down on the market-shares chart.

Globally, tablet sales increased by 19% thanks to cheaper models in emerging markets. The numbers are small compared to the 83% sales increase in the same period of 2013 or the over 100% boost during 2011 and 2012.

Analysts are somewhat surprised of this drop since only a reportedly 40% of the US electronic consumers own a tablet. Comparing these numbers to the ones generated by color TVs or microwaves sales, the result is, indeed surprising.

One explanation is that the tablet lacks the general utility of a telephone and, as smartphones are getting bigger and smarter, people opt for this kind of product rather than a tablet.