The tablet market size of the Middle East and Africa (MEA) exceeded the region's portable PC market for the first time, in the second quarter of 2013.
According to the latest results from International Data Corporation (IDC), tablet shipments for the quarter were up a substantial 208% year-on-year, reaching a total of 2.79 million units.
The report shows a major contributor for the growth is the Android OS, with two million devices shipped during the second quarter of this year. The uptake of Windows OS was rather slow during the quarter, primarily as a result of vendors shipping more Android-based tablets in order to gain market share in the region, says IDC.
According to IDC research analyst Victoria Mendes, the launch of the iPad mini could not prevent iOS from rapidly losing share to Android devices, with cost being a key factor in consumers' choice of tablets. "However, Apple's new product launch, which is expected before the end of this year, will definitely spur some growth for the vendor in the region."
Mendes notes that while Apple's shipment total of 682 000 units for the quarter was lower than expected, the company maintained its top position in the rankings, followed closely by Samsung, which shipped a total of 627 000 units. Lenovo entered the market in third place, shipping 140 000 units.
"Lenovo, together with other far-Eastern vendors like Asus, which took fourth place with a total of 107 000 units, and Acer, which grabbed the remaining top-five slot, seem geared up to increase their market shares given the extremely competitive prices they have entered the market with," says Mendes.
Low-cost tablet surge
"The tablet market will continue to be driven by low-cost tablets, be they from the newer far-Eastern entrants or even from the more established multinational brands," says Mendes. "The main focus of every vendor now is to secure its position in the market by grabbing the biggest share possible from the two tablet giants of Apple and Samsung."
The report notes that the growing cannibalisation of PCs by tablets has caused several multinational PC vendors to divert a larger proportion of their overall focus to their tablet ranges.
"The corporate segment will continue to grow steadily throughout the forecast period, experiencing a slight spike in 2014 owing to the Fatih project in Turkey, where one million units are expected to materialise," says IDC. "Education remains the main focus area for vendors in the commercial space, with various initiatives being launched across the region."
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