The market for 4G tablets rose 15 percent quarter on quarter in Q1 2017, according to CMR.

3G based tablets increased 31 percent quarter on quarter.

2G tablets declined 62 percent, while Wi-Fi tablets fell 33 percent in Q1 2017 as compared to the previous quarter.

The total size of the tablet market was 0.76 million units (–6 percent quarter on quarter and –16 percent year on year).

“The decline in the tablet space could be attributed to the lack of promotional activities in the space. B2C consumption depends on the promotional activities and some exciting features. Aadhaar has led to a rise in government orders, which is a positive factor for the market,” says Menka Kumari, leada analyst, Tablets, CMR.

Top tablet makers

Datawind continued its top position with 34 percent market share. iBall was at number 2 position with 16 percent market share followed by Samsung at 15 percent.

Tablet market within the price of INR 10-20K and less than INR 5K witnessed 48 percent and 4 percent sequential growth, respectively. Tablets in INR 20-30K range saw 61 percent sequential decline. INR 5-10K tablet witnessed 26 percent decline.

4G tablets segment would constitute 50 percent of the market by the end of this year. 4G availability in India has reached 81.56 percent.

The GST regime will affect the tablets market.

The Indian smartphone market has moved towards 4G and the tablets segment would 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.

Android-based Tablets have already captured the majority of the market, while Windows-based Tablets have seen continuous decline in India market. It seems this scenario is not likely to change in the coming quarters also.