The increasing sales of tablets would drive the overall global PC shipments to reach 493.1 million units in 2013, reporting a year-on-year growth of 7%, according to a new report.
Canalys’ latest forecasts for the global PC market revealed that tablets will account for 37% of the entire PC market during the period.
By 2017, PC shipments are expected to reach 713.8 million units globally, reporting a compound annual growth rate of (CAGR) of 9.7%, while tablets and notebooks are expected to grow at a CAGR of 64% and 25% respectively.
During the first quarter of 2013, the global desktop market plunged 10.3%, with the notebook market dropped by 13.1%, while the tablet market doubled registering 106.1% rise in shipments to 41.9 million units.
The report also forecasts that tablet shipments will reach 182.5 million units in 2013, with global tablet shipments surpassing those of notebooks during the final quarter of 2013.
Canalys research analyst Pin-Chen Tang said that shipment numbers can be high but absolute margins on these products are expected to be small.
"Low-priced tablets will not be lucrative but it is necessary to compete or a vendor will simply lose relevance and scale," Tang said.
Content from our partners
"In fact, accessories, particularly cases, as well as the new generation of high-tech ‘appcessories’ will likely provide higher margins than the products themselves.
"This new influx of Android devices will provide a boost to the platform and Canalys therefore expects Android to take a 45% share this year, behind Apple at 49%."
Canalys also anticipates that consumers will purchase separate products, rather than compromise on a Windows 8 convertible or hybrid PC during the following 18 months.
About 2% of the overall 388.1 million mobile PCs shipped in 2013 will be hybrids or convertibles, the report said.
