<p> <i> 21.18 pm </i> Apple and Samsung to lose ground to cheaper Chinese tablets

Apple and Samsung tablets are in for some stiff competition in the coming years according to a Juniper study. The study finds that the two dominant tablet makers will lose 38% of the marketshare by 2019.

The study predicts that the tablet market will move increasingly toward cheaper, more versatile tablets. Chinese vendor, Lenovo, is expected to be one of the major players driving the shift.

Juniper expects Lenovo to be shipping an additional 30 million units per annum by 2019, which will be fueled by a varied line-up of devices from the company’s Yoga range worldwide in its home market.

Lenovo announced several new models at Mobile World Congress 2015 that will use both Android and Windows platforms.

The study predicts that with the rise of the phablet, the variety and capability of tablets will expand. This will cause vendors to have to develop a broader range of catch-all devices that will cater to the needs of specific target markets.

With these predicted changes in the market, Juniper Research expects the appeal of tablets to broaden into a variety of different contexts from education to POS according author James Moar.

The study also predicts that Android will remain the dominant platform for tablets with Windows-based devices expected to grow to represent just under 10% of the market by 2019.

Another key finding from the study claims that hybrid devices will continue to move further into office environments, while tablets will struggle to find a footing in this space due to peripheral compatibility requirements.

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.</p>