Report: Android and Windows slates to help the overall tablet market rise in 2015

Research firm IDC is forecasting an increase in tablet shipments for 2015, to 234.5 million units. Last year, 229.7 million slates shipped globally. While the tablet market overall has been negatively impacted by the rising popularity of large-screened phablets, IDC sees increased shipments of both Windows and Android powered tablets this year, more than making up for a forecast decline in 2015 Apple iPad shipments.

IDC says that 158.1 million Android tablets will ship in 2015, up from the 154.7 million that was in transit last year. That would work out to a 2.2% increase for the year and would take Android's share of the global tablet market from 67.3% to 67.4%. Windows flavored tablets are forecast to show an increase in shipments to 16.3 million from the 11.6 million that shipped in 2014.

Meanwhile, the number of Apple iPads forecast to ship this year will be 60.1 million according to the researcher. In 2014, Apple sent out 63.4 million tablets. The decline can be blamed on the larger screened iPhone models, especially the 5.5-inch Apple iPhone 6 Plus. Apple's smallest tablet is the 7.9-inch Apple iPad mini.

Looking far into the future, IDC expects Microsoft to ship 38 million tablets by 2019. That would give the software giant 14.1% of the tablet market, double the 7% share forecast to be owned by Microsoft this year. Last year, Windows was responsible for 5.1% of the global tablet market. In 2019, the iPad should ship 61.9 million units, good enough for a 23% slice of the global tablet pie. Android's tablet shipments in 2019 are predicted to tally 169.5 million slates, which would translate into 62.9% of the market. That year, a total of 269.4 million units are forecast to be shipped globally.

via: AppleInsider