平板电脑发货量首现年同比下滑，未来价格可能上涨

    市场调查机构NPD DisplaySearch称，全球平板电脑出货量今年一季度同比下降了4.6％。不过，报告撰写者也表示，平板电脑市场的利润率将有所提升，因为平板电脑的平均价格有望攀升。

    NPD DisplaySearch称，今年一季度平板电脑总出货量达到了5630万台，低于去年同期的5900万台。经济增长放缓恐将拖累整个移动PC市场，许多大品牌，包括苹果（Apple Inc.）、谷歌（Google Inc.）以及亚马逊（Amazon.com Inc.）都报告称平板电脑出货量减少。三星电子（Samsung Electronics Co.）的平板发货量虽然有所增加，但增幅也仅为2%。

    DisplaySearch自从2011年开始跟踪平板电脑发货量，这是它第一次发布报告称这个数字同比出现了下滑。人们不禁想知道，接下来的走势会怎么样？一些科技界观察人士希望，炒得正热的可穿戴设备能成为继平板之后的下一个增长热点。不过，NPD本月早些时候预测，可穿戴设备市场的发展很快就会开始减速。

    DisplaySearch高级分析师理查德•西莫告诉《财富》杂志，虽然平板电脑销量一季度有所下滑，但硬件设备的整体销量将持续增长。

    西莫说：“我们眼下看到的是移动设备个性化的转变。我们正朝着追求便利性的消费体验迈进。设备与用户的关系正在变得越来越盘根错节。”

    随着平板电脑销售放缓，西莫预计，制造商将不再执着于销量，而是更多的关注利润和营收。西莫预计，平板的平均售价会上升。他还表示，屏幕尺寸将更为多样，屏幕分辨率也将提高，这两种趋势有望提升消费者的兴趣，推高平板的售价。

    这个趋势有望使平板电脑产业走上改善利润率的道路。西莫预测，那些高品质的设备，也就是屏幕尺寸更大、屏幕分辨率更高的设备——将主要在成熟市场销售，同时，各生产厂商将继续在新兴市场推出低成本设备。（财富中文网）

    译者：项航

    Worldwide tablet shipments dropped 4.6% in the first quarter from a year ago, according to NPD DisplaySearch, though the report's author says that pocket of the tech sector see improved profits as average prices are expected to climb.

    NPD DisplaySearch reported tablet shipments totaled 56.3 million units in the first quarter, down from 59 million a year ago. The slowdown threatens to drag lower the overall mobile PC market, with many major brands including Apple Inc. (AAPL), Google Inc. (GOOG), and Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) reporting fewer tablet shipments. Samsung Electronics Co. (SSNLF) only posted a 2% increase.

    It was the first year-over-year decline DisplaySearch has reported since it began tracking such figures in 2011. The decline leads some to wonder: what's next? Some tech observers had hoped the much-hyped wearable category would be the next pocket of scorching growth though NPD earlier this month predicted that market would begin to slow down quickly.

    Richard Shim, senior analyst for DisplaySearch, told Fortune that while tablet sales fell in the first quarter, the overall consumption of hardware devices continues to increase.

    "What we are witnessing is a shift in the personalization of mobile devices," Shim said. "We are moving more toward a convenience-based consumer experience. The device is becoming more intertwined with the user."

    With tablet sales slowing, Shim expects manufacturers will focus less on volumes and more on margins and revenue. He expects average selling prices will pick up. Shim also sees greater diversity of screen sizes and improved resolution--both trends that could inspire greater consumer interest and loftier selling prices.

    That trend can put the tablet industry on a path toward improved profitability. Shim expects those higher quality devices--with larger screens and greater resolution--will mainly be sold in mature markets, as the industry's players continue to roll out low-cost devices in emerging markets.