Dive Brief:
- According to Strategy Analytics, Microsoft Windows devices accounted for 6% of business smartphones and 10% of tablets shipped in the second quarter of 2015 globally, ComputerWorld reported.
- It’s the first time Microsoft tablets have broken the double-digit mark for business tablets.
- Strategy Analytics said business smartphone shipments overall were 89.3 million in the second quarter. Shipments of business tablets were 19.6 million.
Dive Insight:
Microsoft Windows smartphones and tablets are finally gaining some traction among business users. Sales of Windows tablets for business grew by 42% from the first to second quarter of 2015, reaching nearly 2 million globally, according to Strategy Analytics.
Phil Hochmuth, a Strategy Analytics analyst, predicted an increase in interest in Windows 10 tablets as a replacement for laptops.
Overall the smartphone and tablet markets for business are currently dominated by Android devices, at 65% and 52% respectively, Strategy Analytics said. Apple iOS devices make up 28% of business smartphones and 38% of business tablets.
The second quarter numbers didn’t include Microsoft’s new laptop, the Surface Book, announced last week. The premium-priced notebook includes a special hinge that allows it to twist into a slate or “snap apart to serve as a tablet.” Microsoft is currently taking pre-orders for the Surface Book and will start selling them in retail locations on Oct. 26.
