The folks of CNET did an in depth analysis of the tablet market and its evolution over the years, with the picture below pretty much explaining what it has come to. You either go with the hybrid or the 7/8 inch slate nowadays…
While tablets have been around longer than we think, the first iPad started their real ascension. Meanwhile, the apparently forgotten BlackBerry PlayBook had its own role in making 7 inch tablets more popular. Nexus 7 showed that big brands can make cheaper tablets, while the Nexus 10 marked the start of the downfall of the 10 inch tablets. The 12.2 inch Galaxy Note Pro was an attempt to replace a laptop, but the real replacements are the multi mode Lenovos.
The LG G Pad 8.3 tried to change the game and make 8 inches the new 7 inches in popularity and partially it succeeded. ASUS innovated a lot through its PadFones, FonePads, MeMo Pads and Transformer Pad and Book series, but somehow they remain a mid level player, in spite of offering excellent products and lots of them with solid metal cases. Sony has dared to go waterproof with its tablets, but production problems and low hype has grounded the Xperia slates.
And then we’ve got the iPad Minis, that were and are a huge thing for Apple. I could talk about this all day, but in the end it’s the user who chooses the format he needs. And the needs are a-changing.
