ABI Research has calculated that more than 39 million tablets were shipped worldwide during the first quarter of 2013. It’s the second-highest figure ever recorded by the company, only beaten by the final quarter of 2012.
Jeff Orr, senior practice director at ABI Research, said “Three regions of the world are expected to yield 97% of tablet revenues in 2013. North America is forecasted to claim nearly half of the estimated $72 billion (£47½ billion) expected to be spent this year on tablet devices. Western Europe and Asia-Pacific will also have their hands in the honey pot for a combined 50% of world tablet revenues, respectively.”
Increasing availability of Windows-based tablets and their relatively high selling price is contributing to this revenue growth, the company says. Only 1.5 million Microsoft Surface tablets are thought to have shipped during Q1 2013, although a number of companies including Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, and Vizio have now joined Microsoft in selling Windows tablets.