Tablet sales set to hit the buffers

Global tablet computer sales are expected to slow for the first time in history this year, overtaken by sales of ever-more versatile smartphones, according to a slew of figures being released.

According to the forecast by research firm International Data Corporation, the tablet market is expected to show sales growth of 7.2 percent for the full year, against 52.5 percent in 2013. At the core of the slowdown is the once iconic Apple iPad, with its shipments expected to show their first ever decline in numbers.

Separate numbers released by multinational technology consultancy Gartner Inc estimate tablet sales worldwide will hit 229 million units in 2014, an 11 percent rise on a year earlier but a shadow of the annual 55 percent growth recorded in December 2013.