Tablets 'will be a victim of their own success'

More than half the UK population will be using tablets in 2015, with that figure to rise to 60 per cent within four years, it is claimed.

However, this jump in adoption means the tablet growth rate will dramatically decline, according to a report by research group eMarketer.

The number of tablet users in the UK rose by 35.2 per cent in 2014, but eMarketer expects this to plummet to 9.1 per cent in 2015.

According to the study, this will continue declining until the end of the forecast period, dropping to 3.8 per cent by 2019.

This trend has been attributed to the lower turnover rate for tablets compared to smartphones and other devices, with consumers keeping their tablet for longer without needing a replacement.

Gartner has predicted growth of just eight per cent this year, with research director Ranjit Atwal partially blaming the slump on a lack of innovation in hardware.

Bill Fisher, analyst at eMarketer, said: "The country's tablet market is reaching a point in its maturity curve that signals a slowdown in user growth. Such a slowdown in the rate of penetration suggests that most of those who want a tablet likely already have one, with more sales than ever likely to be replacements."

EMarketer's forecasts are based on trends both worldwide and local, using quantitative and qualitative data taken from sources such as research firms, government agencies and media outlets.

"The tablet boom in the UK is over, but now the replacement cycle looks to have begun in earnest," Fisher added. "With almost three-quarters of the internet population set to be tablet users by 2019, it's still a market worth being in."