Reality Check: Why The Rugged Tablet Market Is Outpacing Consumer Devices

By Mark Holleran, President & COO, Xplore Technologies - As seen in RCR Wireless News

Traditional smartphones and tablets may be experiencing a slowdown in sales, but the rugged tablet market is expected to see a boost in the coming years

It is no secret that the consumer tablet market has slowed down in sales. Some industry experts, like TechCrunch have gone so far as to say (gasp) “tablets are dead.” The truth is, as consumer preferences shift and smartphone manufacturers produce devices with larger screens, global shipments of consumer tablets are dropping – a whopping 12.3% in the second quarter of 2016, according to the International Data Corporation.

While original equipment manufacturers like Apple and Samsung are trying to put a shot in the arm of the consumer tablet market, those of us in the rugged tablet market are experiencing a much different scenario. In fact, VDC Research actually expects the rugged tablet market to expand from $589.7 million in 2016, to $623.6 million by 2020. Let’s examine why rugged tablets cannot only weather extreme geological and industrial conditions – but also the hotly debated tablet market.