4G tablets to constitute 50% market share in 2017

New Delhi: The 4G tablets segment will constitute 50 per cent of the market by the end of this year, market research firm CyberMedia Research (CMR) said on Monday.

According to CMR's "India Quarterly Tablet PC Market Review-1Q 2017" report, Android-based tablets have already captured the majority of the market while Windows-based tablets have seen continuous decline in India.

Datawind continued its top position with 34 per cent market share. iBall stood second with 16 per cent market share followed by Samsung with 15 per cent share.

"The smartphone market has moved towards 4G and the tablets segment would also follow the same trend. The demand for SIM-enabled devices will continue to grow while Wi-Fi enabled devices will continue to see demand from the student community," said Menka Kumari, Lead Analyst, Tablets, CMR, in a statement.

4G and 3G-based tablets witnessed sequential increase of 15 per cent and 31 per cent in terms of units shipped.

Alternatively, 2G and Wi-Fi based tablets saw a sharp decline of 62 per cent and 33 per cent, respectively, as compared to the previous quarter, the findings showed.

The tablet market within the price category of Rs 10,000-Rs 20,000 and less than Rs 5,000 witnessed 48 per cent and four per cent sequential growth, respectively, during the quarter.

On the other hand, the price category of Rs 20,000-30,000 saw a sharp 61 per cent sequential decline, the report added.