14 DAY TRIAL // Tablets are something that many people are thinking about nowadays, so it stands to reason that market analysts would look forward to see what may or may not happen.
On this particular occasion, ABI Research is the one publishing the results of its most recent study of the slate IT segment.
Apparently, even though Apple will maintain dominance for the short term, the consumer base will steadily move closer to lower-cost models.
Currently, there are 220 tablet models selling around the world, which is not a small number.
In fact, only a couple of dozen of them actually make the news regularly, even though they aren't the only ones with merit.
The Apple iPad is in the lead, true, but its success only served to spurn others into action.
That is why, ABI predicts, in half a decade people will already be more interested, overall, in affordable tablets, where affordable means $400 or less (301 Euro).
“The majority of new entrant media tablet models have been in the sub-$400 segment that focuses on growth markets like India and China,” said Jeff Orr, group director of consumer research.
“The strong wave of growth in this segment over the next few years is expected to be driven by the adoption in emerging markets.”
The Amazon Kindle Fire and Google's rumored Nexus Tab are the two that will lead the globe into this new age.
Over time, it is expected that every PC and smartphone maker will build a slate of some sort. E-readers may not be worthwhile without a content store to back them up, but tablets are easier to promote, given the general access to the Android Market.
“Availability of competing models increases options for consumers and will help to boost eReader adoption,” says research analyst Aishwarya Singh. “However, the slower pace of digitization of local content will be the key market inhibitor for adoption of eBook Readers, as well as media tablets, in the emerging markets.”