Six years ago, tablet devices were the hottest trend in the tech community. In 2010, the tech universe saw the release of the first Apple iPad and Samsung was also busy developing the Galaxy Tab. Several other tech companies are also working on their own tablet devices in hopes of getting a piece of the then fledgling market. Six years later, at the 2016 Mobile World Congress, no tablet device was presented, which is a sign that prompted tech analysts to declare that the tablet industry is dead.
Tech giant Apple is rumored to be working on the latest iPad Pro. However, the absence of the device in this year's Mobile World Congress was duly noted by many tech experts. Some analysts claim that Apple is preparing for an exclusive event this March where it will unveil the new iPad Pro alongside a couple of new devices, according to Techno Buffalo.
The first quarter of the year had been a quite run for the tablet industry. The absence of tablet devices from big tech companies like Samsung, LG, Sony and HTC have been seriously noticed.
Some tech analysts believe that the absence of tablet devices in this year's Mobile World Congress is not a sign that consumers are getting tired of the platform. It appears that big electronics companies themselves are also not interested in releasing new products for this market anymore.
To be fair, Lenovo did release some affordable Android tablets, but based on consumer reception, it appears that nobody noticed it.
Flagship tablet devices like the LG G Pad II, Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 and the Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet were all released last year. However, it appears that they were all forgotten these days.
One of the main reason analysts cited that could have sparked that deteriorating interest in the tablet platform is the overflowing of devices in the market, especially in the Android platform. There are Android tablets with decent specs that goes for less than $200 nowadays. And the fact that there is little if no differentiating factor between Android devices makes it hard for manufacturers to market their product.
Analysts also pointed to the fact that smartphones are becoming bigger nowadays. Most flagship smartphones billed as premium devices have a screen that measures at least five inches, according to Tech Crunch.
Nevertheless, market analysts are still positive that the tablet industry will not completely die down. The platform appeals to a certain niche of users, especially artists who need a bigger canvas for their art. The question now is whether this limited user base be enough to sustain the platform.