Larger Screen Sizes in Tablets ‘Gaining Favor,’ Says Strategy Analytics

Larger screen sizes in tablets are “gaining favor” as the tablet “transforms into a productivity device,” Strategy Analytics said Tuesday in a report. When and if Apple launches its large-screen iPad Pro, it would “join a market that is primed for growth” because of the success of Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 and larger 2-in-1 detachable tablets from PC vendors such as Acer, Asus and Lenovo, the research firm said. By 2019, global shipments of tablets with screen sizes 11 inches and larger will nearly double to 19.3 million units, it said. A “dramatic shift” toward larger screen sizes is underway “to accommodate more use cases” for tablets, said Peter King, Strategy Analytics service director-tablet and touch screen strategies. The “gulf” between PCs and tablets “is shrinking every day,” said Eric Smith, senior analyst-tablet and touch screen strategies. “Major vendors are pushing the boundaries of all three major mobile operating systems and hardware configurations,” transforming the tablet “into a content creation device,” Smith said.