In Media tablet shipments surpassed netbook shipments this quarter, reaching 13.6 mn units, compared to just 7.3 mn netbooks. Netbooks had previously led the way with 8.4 million shipments in 1Q11, compared to just 6.4 mn media tablets.
This is a trend that we do not expect will reverse, says Jeff Orr, group director, mobile devices. As they are different segments, this is not a direct replacement behavior, but a changing of leadership for the most interesting device type.
Driving media tablet interest is Apples iPad 2. 68% of the media tablet shipments in 2Q11 consisted of Apple iPad models. Consumers are choosing tablets over netbooks for a number of reasons. Media tablets are perceived to be easy to use, compared to the keyboard and mouse interface of a netbook computer. Those who have avoided PCs because they are difficult to use think the Baby Boomer generation and older see media tablets as an opportunity to re-engage with Internet access. Cost, however, is certainly not a reason driving tablet interest, as the average media tablet costs approximately $600 and the average netbook is only about half of that, says Orr.
While 32 mn netbooks and 60 mn media tablets are expected to ship worldwide in 2011, netbooks still hold interest in underserved countries, where PC penetration to the home, along with broadband services, are not widely available. Media tablet shipments will primarily cater to the early-adopter consumer audiences of Western Europe, the US, Japan, and South Korea.
ABI Researchs new market data, Tablets, Netbooks, and Mobile CE Market Data, provides forecasts for all ultra-mobile devices (UMDs), including netbooks, media tablets, UMPCs, mobile Internet devices (MIDs) and six types of mobile broadband-enabled consumer electronics (CE) devices.
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