Tablet PC Strategy

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S.

 

Tablet PC manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are introducing wide-screen products. As smartphones with screens larger than 5 inches are increasing, 7-inch level tablet PCs, which do not have big differences in screen size, cannot draw demand. Accordingly, table PC companies are enlarging screens to differentiate display size from big screen smartphones.

According to the US market research company NPD DisplaySearch on July 30, 7-inch level products dominated the entire tablet PC market last year, accounting for 58 percent. NPD DisplaySearch projected that sales of 8 to 10-inch level tablet PCs will increase this year, and that the market share of large tablet PCs, with screens wider than 11 inches, will grow over 10 percent within four years.

Table PC manufacturers have accordingly released products with screens larger than 8 inches. Samsung Electronics showed its Galaxy Tab S first, with Android and two sizes of screen, 8.4 and 10.5 inches, on July 10.

The G Pad released by LG Electronics on July 7 also has various screen sizes lined up including 7, 8, and 10.1 inches. LG Electronics set the price at around 300,000 won (US$290), as the G Pad is a budget product rather than high end. The G Pad runs on Android as well.

Other tablet PCs including Iconia W4 of Acer, VivoTab Note 8 of Asus, and ThinkPad 8 and Mix 2 of Lenovo also increased their screen size to 8 or 10 inches, from existing 7 inch systems. The operating system of these products is Windows 8.1.

An industry professional said, “In order for tablet PCs to succeed, they have to be differentiated from smartphones and laptops, having a bigger screen than smartphones, be smaller, lighter, and more convenient to carry than laptops, and penetrate the niche market. Tablet PCs committed to their role as a secondary smart device with satisfactory weight, display size and quality, rather than having various functions like smartphones or laptops, will continue to be released.”

On the other hand, table PCs with Windows OS are increasing, starting from foreign manufacturers. Predominant OS used to be Android so far, but the Windows OS related markets will be expanded accordingly.

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