Worldwide tablet sales will reach 233 million units in 2015, an 8% increase from 2014, the analyst firm said.

‘The collapse of the tablet market in 2014 was alarming,’ said Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner. ‘In the last two years global sales of tablets were growing in double-digits. The steep drop can be explained by several factors.

‘One is that the lifetime of tablets is being extended – they are shared out amongst family members and software upgrades, especially for iOS devices, keep the tablets current. Another factor includes the lack of innovation in hardware which refrains consumers from upgrading.’

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Worldwide combined shipments of devices (PCs, tablets, ultramobiles and mobile phones) for 2015 are estimated to reach 2.5 billion units, an increase of 3.9 per cent over 2014.

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week, Gartner analysts expect the vendors in the devices space to announce new partnerships that lead to innovative apps that use personal data to tailor the user experience.

Worldwide Device Shipments by Segment, 2014-2016 (Thousands of Units)