According to NPD DisplaySearch, tablets will exceed the global shipment figures of notebooks during 2013.
The market research firm said that tablet shipments are expected to exceed 240 million this year, with notebooks shipments set to reach around 207 million.
For the first time since their inception, tablets will consequently account for more than 50 percent of the annual market share this year, which would represent an increase from about 38 percent last year and 26 percent in 2011.
Growth in tablet shipments is expected to increase by 64 percent this year when compared to 2012 and will be spearheaded by the increasing amount of choice offered by vendors.
Tablets with 7- to 7.9-inch screens are expected to account for 45 percent of the market in 2013, which would be the equivalent to 108 million units. 9.7-inch tablets such as Apple's traditional iPad will settle for a 17 percent share with shipments of around 41 million. The remaining 38 percent constitutes of a large number of tablet sizes ranging from 5.6 inches to 13.3 inches.
"The tablet PC market saw increasing investments in North America in the second half of 2012, from major brands that tested not only new screen sizes and price points, but also unconventional business models to support their efforts," said NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim. "In 2013, further investments are expected worldwide, stoking demand to the point that tablet PC shipments will exceed those of notebook PCs."
Set to remain the biggest tablet market, North America will account for around 85 million units, representing a 35 percent share. Elsewhere, spearheaded by local manufacturers, China is expected to ship 65 million units, which would account for a 27 percent share of the market.
During 2011, tablet shipments in both North America and China had surpassed figures deriving from notebooks. During the October of 2012, meanwhile, tablet display shipments surpassed those of notebooks.
