SAN MATEO, CA – Worldwide tablet plus 2-in-1 shipments were 50.4 million units in the first quarter of 2014, up 3.9% year-over-year, and down 35.7% sequentially, says IDC.

The slowdown was felt across operating systems and screen sizes and likely points to an even more challenging year ahead for the category, says the research firm.

"The rise of large-screen phones and consumers who are holding on to their existing tablets for longer periods of time were both contributing factors to a weaker-than-anticipated quarter for tablets and 2-in-1s," said Tom Mainelli, IDC program vice president, Devices and Displays. "In addition, commercial growth has not been robust enough to offset the slowing of consumer shipments."

Apple maintained its lead in the worldwide tablet plus 2-in-1 market, shipping 16.4 million units, down 15.9% year-over-year, and down 37% sequentially. The company saw its share of the market slip to 32.5%, down from the previous quarter's share of 33.2%.

Samsung once again grew its worldwide share, increasing from 17.2% last quarter to 22.3% this quarter. Samsung continues to work aggressively with carriers to drive tablet shipments through smartphone bundles. Rounding out the top five were ASUS (5%), Lenovo (4.1%), and Amazon (1.9%).

"With roughly two-thirds share, Android continues to dominate the market," said Jitesh Ubrani, research analyst, Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker. "Although its share of the market remains small, Windows devices continue to gain traction thanks to sleeper hits like the Asus T100."

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