Growth in world tablet market stabilises. According to a study by Gartner, 256 million tablets will be sold this year, an increase of “just” 24% on 2013. The pace remains high, but it has to be seen in comparison with the previous years, which were marked by hyper-growth. In 2013, the market grew by just over 70%, having doubled in 2012. For 2015, Gartner predicts further growth of 25%, with 321 million models sold. This observation tallies with that published by IDC. In a study published at the end of May, this consultancy firm reduced its growth forecast for 2014 to 245 million tablets sold, down from an initial estimate of 261 million, or growth of 12% on the previous year. Experts in the sector also agree with this analysis: the tablet market is starting a new life cycle as it is maturing. Consumers who wanted tablets now have one and the market is now shaping up as a product replacement one, hence the slower growth, according to Gartner. Furthermore, consumers are tending to hang onto their tablet for longer than anticipated. There is also another phenomenon to explain the slow-down on the market: the emergence of “phablets”, giant smartphones popularised by Samsung and which are currently enjoying enormous success in Asia, particularly in Japan and South Korea, where the sale of tablets has dropped to virtually nothing. As regards PCs, following very low growth of 3% forecast for this year, the market is expected to bounce back in 2015, led by demand from companies starting to renew their PC pools. Gartner predicts that around 60 million PCs will be replaced in the developed countries this year. (IL)