Microsoft is expected to expand its tablet market share, thanks to the increasing segment of detachable devices, including laptops with monitors that can be detached and work as standalone tablets. The info comes from the latest study of research firm IDC.
The hybrid between laptops and tablets is expected to grow from shipments of 16.6 million units last year to 63.8 million in 2020. And the bulk of these models will run Windows. In 2016 along the segment is said to grow 73% compared to last year, in sales. The overall tablet category will be lagging and its sales will fall 5.9% per year, compared to 2015.
Detachables stand for about 8% of the whole tablet market right now, but they’ll grow to 30% by 2020, said the same IDC. Aside from the growth in demand, there’s an increase in competition among big brands and a drop of average prices. MWC 2016 saw Huawei and Alcatel enter the segment, while CES 2016 brought a big number of detachables from the likes of Lenovo, Samsung, Toshiba, HP and more.
Microsoft is going to be the big winner, both though hardware, like the Surface models and through software, since its OS will be on all those detachables.
