Samsung continues to lead India tablet market

Samsung continues to lead the Indian tablet market by a wide gap margin between itself and second-ranked Micromax, which witnessed a 15-per cent fall in its third quarter, compared to the second quarter of 2014.

With more exposure to the low-cost connected tablet segment, iBall moved to the third slot, according to a study released by International Data Corporation (IDC).

The Indian tablet market, which started on a lower note because of Bureau of India Standards (BIS) compliance requirements, posted the strongest year to date growth in third quarter of 2014, fuelled by festive buying and strengthening commercial demand.

Tablet market shipments in India witnessed a strong quarter-on-quarter growth of 10 per cent 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,'' said Tanvi Mann, Market Analyst at IDC India.

With more than 90 per cent market share in third quarter of 2014, IDC expects Android 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, the study said.

''Due to continuous onslaught of Phablets (which IDC defines as smartphones with 5.5 inches to 6.99 inch screen size), 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

Forecast
Owing to seasonality there will be lesser intake during the fourth quarter However, for calendar year 2015, 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 personal computer original equipment manufacturers in the tablets space with a focus on the 7-inch and 8-inch form factor,'' Mann adds.