Tablets were more popular than ever this holiday season, and Apple and Samsung continued to display their mobile dominance with iPad and Galaxy tablet sales on Black Friday.
A DigiTimes report today is showing that this year’s tablet sales growth is not expected to slow. The report’s unnamed “Taiwan-based supply chain makers” are predicting that Apple will ship upwards of 80 to 90 million tablets during 2014. Those same sources predict that Samsung will ship 60 to 70 million.
This takes into account the new tablets that both Apple and Samsung are expected to announce during the coming year.
Apple is expected to reveal its refreshed iPad Mini and iPad Air lineup this year, which will presumably be lighter and thinner than last year’s lineup. In addition, the long-held rumors of a new 12.9-inch mega-tablet version of the iPad are still being passed on by DigiTimes’ sources. With Samsung having already unveiled its 12.2-inch mega-tablets at this year’s CES, Apple may see more pressure for a larger version of the iPad, though the report claims a mega iPad release is unlikely before the end of the third quarter 2014.
As for Samsung, the Korean manufacturer will continue to flood global markets with tablets of all sizes and prices. With emerging markets forecasted to be so important for industry growth in the coming years, Samsung’s lower-price tablet lineup could become more important. DitiTimes predicts more tablets like the new Galaxy Tab 3 Lite with prices falling to as low as $129.