Global hybrid device shipments to reach 21.5-mn units in 2015

Global shipments of hybrid devices are on pace to reach 21.5 million units in 2015, a 70-per cent rise from 2014. These devices accounting for 12 per cent of mobile PC sales. This will rise to 12 per cent of total mobile sales in 2019, according to a study by global research and analysis firm Gartner.

"Of the 21.5 million hybrid devices shipped in 2015, 8 million will be ultramobile tablets (two-in-one tablets) and 13.5 million hybrid ultramobiles (two-in-one detachable and convertible ultramobiles). This will make hybrid ultramobiles the fastest-growing segment of the mobile PC market with 77-per cent year-on-year growth," said Tracy Tsai, research director at Gartner.

"The combination of portability, productivity and flexibility of touch and a keyboard in one device is attracting some notebook and tablet users to replace their devices with hybrid form factors," said Tsai. "PC vendors are expanding into this segment with a value proposition to compete with Apple and Android-based tablet vendors. Sales of hybrid devices have not stopped growing since 2012, totalling 12.6 million units in 2014 and expected to reach 58 million units in 2019."

PC vendors are expanding into hybrid devices for notebook and tablet users - the primary targets for the hybrid form factor. According to a Gartner survey of more than 21,000 respondents across five countries (US China, Brazil, India and Germany) conducted in the third quarter of 2014, as many as 11 per cent of tablet users, 10 per cent of desktop users and 8 per cent of notebook users are considering replacing their current device with a hybrid device in the next two years.

In the enterprise segment, IT departments are struggling to make a compelling case to purchase hybrid ultramobiles for users because the PC installed base is predominantly Windows 7 and legacy applications are not touch-based.

"However, this will change when businesses start to migrate to Windows 10," said Tsai. "Windows 10 on hybrid ultramobiles will offer a better user experience with touch and voice as well as universal Windows applications - applications written just once that receive device-specific user experience tweaks to allow them to run on different Windows devices."

Businesses will also need to prepare for the end of extended Windows 7 support by January 2020.

Asus, the first vendor to introduce a two-in-one ultramobile, was the number one hybrid ultramobile device vendor in 2014 with 41 per cent market share.

Asus shipped 3.1 million hybrid ultramobile units, up 263 per cent year-on-year. To keep up its market share, Asus needs to increase investment in convertible-type hybrids with smaller screen sizes of less than 13 inches, and broaden the price bands it addresses.

Currently, hybrid ultramobiles are accounting for 15 per cent of Asus' mobile PC shipments in 2014, the highest mix ratio among all PC vendors.

Lenovo took the number two position in 2014 with 1.9 million shipments of hybrid ultramobiles, an increase of 331 per cent year-on-year. Lenovo focused its hybrid strategy on expanding into the consumer market, and successfully increased its share of hybrid ultramobiles in North America from 6 per cent in 2013 to 31 per cent in 2014.

Similarly, in Western Europe, Lenovo's hybrid ultramobile market share grew from 16.5 per cent to 27 per cent from 2013 to 2014.