According to forecasts from research firm IDC, the market for detachable tablets is expected to grow significantly by 2021, with 56.1 million units sold.Detachable devices, also known as 2-in-1s (due to their detachable keyboards), will see the biggest growth, with sales increasing from 21.4 billion in 2016 to 56.1 million and market share rising from 4.9% to 13.4%.
Notebooks will continue to lead the charts as sales reach 162.5 million units from 156.8 million units last year. PCs on the other hand are likely to see a decline from 103.3 million units to 89.8 million, with market share reaching 21.5%.
IDC says that the lack of new models from Apple and Microsoft caused a slight decline in late 2016 as the Surface line did not receive any updates. Microsoft is expected to introduce new Surface models this spring or fall.
The 2-in-1 market is a creation of Microsoft, having pioneered the category with the Surface RT in 2012. Despite the criticism, Microsoft has continued to invest in new Surface models, making it the fastest-growing business in recent quarters.
Apple, for its part, is investing in 2-in-1 devices, with the Cupertino giant seeing the iPad Pro as the perfect opportunity to enter the market. Furthermore, the giant explains that it does not want to push the MacBook into this category by adding a touchscreen and detachable keyboard in future updates.
It remains to be seen whether IDC's predictions will come true.
