According to International Data Corporation (IDC) India tablet market reported the strongest year to date growth in Q3 2014, fuelled by festive buying and strengthening commercial demand. As per the results given by IDC, Samsung leads the tablet market in India with an impressive 22.2 per cent market share.
Tablet market shipments in India witnessed a strong quarter-on-quarter growth of 10% making it a 0.94 million units market.
“The initial phase of impulsive buying seems to have faded, as the consumers are more aware of the use case of tablets now. Therefore the current size of the market looks more realistic and stable,” says Tanvi Mann, Market Analyst, IDC India
Operating System Highlight: With more than 90% market share in Q3 2014, Android is expected to dominate the market in the foreseeable future as well. Windows based tablets priced under $200 are expected to accelerate the adoption rate, albeit from a low base.
“Due to continuous onslaught from the “Phablets” (which IDC defines as 5.5 inches -6.99 inches screen size smartphones), small screen tablets are taking a hit and there is more uptake on tablets which are screen sized between 8-9 inches. This has however led to an overall improvement of the average selling price for the category,” says Kiran Kumar, Research Manager, Client Devices IDC India.
Top 3 Vendor Highlights:
SAMSUNG: Samsung continues to lead the market by a wide gap to its next competitor. With fresh product line in the premium segment, the brand fared well on the higher screen sized tablets.
MICROMAX: Micromax retained its second spot; however saw a decline of 15% in Q3 against Q2 2014. The first month of the quarter was good for the vendor, however shipment “Sell-ins” contracted in August and September.
iBALL: iBall is a vendor to watch out for. The swift pace at which the brand is getting acceptance by the audience is exceptional. With more exposure on the low cost connected tablet segment, iBall has made it to the top 3 list. Notably, majority of their volumes are consumer driven.
IDC India Forecast:
Owing to seasonality there will be lesser intake in Q4 2014. However, for CY2015 commercial segment is likely to grow in comparison to a stable consumer market. Government projects and government aided education projects should remain key to the growth in the commercial tablets.
“We are likely to see increased activity by PC OEMs in the tablets space with a focus on the 7 inch and 8 inch form factor,” adds Tanvi Mann, Market Analyst, IDC India
