Tablet sales growth slows dramatically

Discussion in 'hardware' started by ronjor, Oct 16, 2014.

  1. ronjor

    ronjor Global Moderator

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  2. J_L

    J_L Registered Member

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    The hype train is being derailed... While I do see the use of tablets, they are overblown imo.
     
  3. Daveski17

    Daveski17 Registered Member

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    I love my Nexus 7, but I can't see it replacing a conventional laptop/desktop box.
     
  4. Countryboy15

    Countryboy15 Registered Member

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    Their use is just too limited to begin with, and what with the ad intrusions in every application and "always on" tracking, they just become a burden. My Nexus 7 has been a game and YouTube device for some time now, and the Youtube app barely works, not to mention half the stuff on Youtube "isn't available on mobile". Vendors tried to make it seem like tablets and smartphones could do it all. Even now you have stupid commercials with little kids using their mobile devices to put up videos and signs on city billboards, it just is not happening.
     
  5. Coldmoon

    Coldmoon Returnil Moderator

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    For what they are right now? Yes, you are correct, but it does not mean that mobile is becoming less important just because the available devices still have some limitations. They serve a purpose and the fact that sales have slowed may simply mean the market for the devices with their current capabilities is saturated...
     
  6. J_L

    J_L Registered Member

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    Never said tablets meant all mobile devices.
     
  7. Countryboy15

    Countryboy15 Registered Member

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    If you want the ugly truth about it, mobile seems to grow in importance only to advertising. And if the current capabilities are not enough to get actual work done, and very little progress save for adding and removing screen size and pixels to cameras is being made, then would not mobile indeed become less important? As far as smartphones go, I see less work being done on them and the usual amount of yapping with ears glued to them. Sure, if you can count Facebook as work, I guess you have a point. I cannot wait to watch the "wearables" market crash and burn, I will not have to wait long I am sure.
     
  8. guest

    guest Guest

    Why smart tablets are a failure:
    1. They're big, you can't put them inside your jeans or shirt pocket.
    2. They're too expensive for the features they can offer.
    3. They don't offer something that smartphones already have.
    4. They drain battery so quickly.

    Well the netbook market is already dead and it didn't take too long for it to happen since netbooks became popular back there. Something similar should happen to these funky gadgets. Guaranteed. ;)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 16, 2014
  9. zapjb

    zapjb Registered Member

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    People are realizing how worthless tablets are.
     
  10. Countryboy15

    Countryboy15 Registered Member

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    They drain the battery so quickly because the stupid applications and the OS, especially Android, are designed to constantly be running. That and the ads constantly transmitting data back home. They are only good for Hulu/Netflix streaming in bed and games basically.
     
  11. guest

    guest Guest

    But somehow Android smartphones could last longer than Android tablets.
     
  12. roger_m

    roger_m Registered Member

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    It's only the really cheap Android tablets which have terrible battery life. The battery life on my $200 iFive 3 tablet is really good due to it having a 8400mAh battery.
     
  13. MisterB

    MisterB Registered Member

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    It might be just that the market is saturated and those that have tablets are satisfied with what they have and aren't getting new ones. I just spent a day filled with people walking around with tablets. Older people seem to prefer them to smartphones due to eyesight issues and tablets having a larger display.

    So what has been a huge fad could easily evolve into a niche market.
     
  14. Keatah

    Keatah Registered Member

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    I received an iPad as a gift. The only things I use it for is light web browsing and reading my .PDF e-books. Perhaps a little bit of journal keeping could be in the future.

    I find iOS artificially restricting when it comes to simple import and export of basic file types. No doubt architected as such to get you to purchase iCloud subscriptions. But instead of getting involved with the cloud, I just won't migrate activities that involve simple file transfers. I'll stay with the PC Desktop/Laptop as I've done since forever.

    While the iPad hardware is capable and quality, the software pretty much limits what you and I can do with it.

    Call me old-school, I really don't care.. I generally don't get all hot and bothered with the "app" market too much. Too many frivolities. Not to mention all the social networking, mindless gaming, and advertisements. And then we have company specific apps, think big box and restaurants and travel.

    All of this is busy-making time wasting. It seems that activities on mobile devices are designed (however subtle or brash) to get you to transfer money and data from you to some other entity.
     
  15. aigle

    aigle Registered Member

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    For the very same reason, iOS and Windows Phone is a big No for me. Android is much better and user friendly in this regard. I did Apple hs done it deliberately so that people will still but MacBooks. It's a mean business trick.
     
  16. aigle

    aigle Registered Member

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    I think the slow down of tablet growth is all natural. It will finally become steady. However in no way PC and laptop market is going to affect the mobile market. Mobile/ tablet market will continue to dominate with time. It's very natural I think.
     
  17. guest

    guest Guest

    Right, my brother has a US$320 Android tablet and the battery is drained in less than a day for only music listening. =P
     
  18. aigle

    aigle Registered Member

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    Hmmm...... what do you mean by less than a day? No cell phone or tablet, even if high end, is supposed to run music for a full day.
     
  19. Daveski17

    Daveski17 Registered Member

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    lol yeah, I'm quite surprised just how long tablet batteries last.
     
  20. roger_m

    roger_m Registered Member

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    How many hours does it last before the battery is flat, and what is the tablet model?
     
  21. pajenn

    pajenn Registered Member

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    tablets rock! i see more tablets everywhere - restaurants i go to have started using tablets instead of regular paper menus (although i miss the paper menus), many students use them instead of paper notebooks, half the people on airplanes have them (and many on trains and buses do too)... personally i use mine as an ultra portable (and light) laptop replacement. i still do almost all of my work (and 50% of fun) on my power laptop at home, but I just got tired of carrying it around so I bought a small windows 8.1 tablet that I use for work and fun on the go. my android phone (or phablet at 6.3") is fine too, but it cannot be a serious replacement for a tablet/laptop on the go because it doesn't run the (windows) programs i use or have the ports and connections I want. It's still super handy and does many things better than my tablet and laptop. maybe one day there will be a power phone that can convert to a tablet and a laptop/desktop, and then I'll only need one device...

    if tablet sales are slowing down, then I assume it's because people who would buy tablets already have an old one and just aren't replacing fast enough to keep the sales up. or if the sales volume is measured by the $, then maybe people are just buying cheaper tablets because prices have come down. also, i assume tablets will boom again once they become powerful enough to replace laptops/desktops for the needs of most people, and come with docking stations so people can use them at home with a big screen, keyboard and mouse - a trend i already see happening with Windows tablets...
     
  22. aigle

    aigle Registered Member

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    wow.....6.3. Just curious which one? I am considering Oneplus One or Huawei Acend Mate 7.
     
  23. RJK3

    RJK3 Registered Member

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    Finally, someone saying something sensible. Tablets are everywhere, and very popular with uni students. I see more tablets around than I used to back when I got my first (cheapie) years ago. I've no need to replace my Asus from 2012, so the data makes perfect sense to me - there's still growth, but not as much.

    They do what they're meant to do. Personally I use mine offline - for media, and for education purposes including as an anatomy simulator. It's so much easier to use finger gestures for studying 3D models of the human body, than using a mouse interface. I can rotate and zoom intuitively, helping develop an associational understanding of structures.

    I've noticed since the idea of a tablet was becoming popular, some folks were deadset against them - saying they were a silly idea, not as powerful as a desktop PC, etc - and completely missing the advantages of tablets that would define their role. Now years later, when tablets are clearly successful - these same people are irrationally and defiantly interpreting a slowing down (yet still positive growth) of sales is somehow indicative of failure.
     
  24. Keatah

    Keatah Registered Member

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    It's not a matter of tablets becoming more powerful. They already are. Instead it's a question of if the software they run supports the function and style of work you do.

    Surface would seem to come much closer to a laptop than an iPad would.
     
  25. guest

    guest Guest

    Not sure, 15 hours perhaps?

    I don't know but it's a Samsung smart tablet. Honestly it's pointless to argue with me, it's obvious that I don't like smart tablets and no justification will be acceptable to me. Better save your sweat, mun.

    My cheap Android LG smartphone could last for 2 or 3 days for >18 hours music listening in each day, and it could last for >a week for my normal usage overall. (discodance.gif)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 19, 2014
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