Big screen smartphones take a bite out of the market for tablets

It was the new kid on the block in the world of gadgets just a few years ago and everyone wanted one. Lately, however, it's become a target of critique.

Leading the charge in 2010 was Apple's iPad, which has since slimmed down as it's morphed into both the iPad Air and iPad Mini. Neither are groundbreaking devices any more, and the news in May that Apple sold fewer iPads in 2013 than in 2012 has led some to predict the demise of the tablet.

However, that conclusion is wrong. Sales of tablets around the world jumped by 68 per cent last year, while in Hong Kong, market researcher GfK's data shows that sales of tablets increased to 1.6 million units last year from 1.3 million in 2012.

Could we be in the post-iPad era? Perhaps, but the tablet isn't going anywhere. Android-based tablets from Samsung, Asus, Sony and Lenovo all trail Apple in tablet sales in Hong Kong, and entry-level devices from mainland Chinese brands, such as Xiaomi's MiPad, are expected to take a slice of the pie this year.

Apple might still boast the biggest share by brand in a growing market, but it's a market that's increasingly dominated by the Android operating system. More than 195 million tablets were sold around the world in 2013. In 2012, Android had a market share of 46 per cent, with Apple's iPad accounting for the rest. By the end of 2013, Android devices had captured 62 per cent of the market, while Apple's share had fallen to 36 per cent.

"Of the 101 countries across the world where data is tracked, iOS devices dominated browsing in 34 countries, while Android came out on top in some 67 nations," says Ronan Cremin, chief technology officer of mobile web company dotMobi. "Our device usage figures show strong growth in Android use across the globe with 2,190 different Android-based tablets being tracked." Windows-based devices are also a coming challenger to Apple.

We're obviously all still buying tablets, but despite Android's growing domination, Cremin doesn't think we've entered a post-iPad era. Others agree. "The iPad still represents a beautifully produced and highly intuitive state-of-the-art product, in the midst of the Apple device ecosystem, that is unlikely to go away any time soon," says Jeremy Silver, an expert on the digital music industry and author of the book Digital Medieval.

"Never underestimate Apple's willingness to adapt in its own highly designed, über stylistic way to the evolution of the market," he says, adding that the increasingly competitive market for touch screen devices means a new approach from Apple. "The splitting of the iPhone 5 series into the S and C-class phones was the kind of thing Steve Jobs swore the company would never do," says Silver. "Today, however, with consumer behaviour changing extremely quickly, Apple will be looking to adapt and advance in as many innovative ways as it can."