Samsung, Apple to release larger tablets in 1st half

• Published Feb 15, 2015 6:37 PM KST
• Updated Feb 15, 2015 6:37 PM KST

By Kim Yoo-chul

Samsung Electronics and Apple will unveil larger tablets for corporate clients to lift their sagging tablet segments, sources said Sunday.

Samsung and Apple plan to roll out 13-inch tablets this year, a move aimed at bolstering their presence in business-to-business (B2B) market.

“Samsung Electronics plans to release a new Surface-branded tablet running under Microsoft's Windows platform in the first half of the year. This tablet targets B2B clients such as educational institutes, hospitals and some other logistics companies,” said an official from a parts supplier to Samsung, Friday.

He said Samsung will unveil a 13-inch tablet in the first half, and 15-inch model will follow.

Apple also plans to release a new iPad with a screen size of 12.9 inches as early as in the first half of this year, said an official from an Apple’s Korean partner company.

LG Electronics and Sony are also expected to produce larger tablets.

The tablet market is losing fans to large-sized smartphones and low-priced generic tablets. People do not replace them as often as smartphones.

Global tablet shipments hit 233 million last year, up 8 percent year-on-year, according to a market research firm IDC said.

However, Apple and Samsung cut their shipments, with Apple’s shipment falling 18 percent and Samsung Electronics down 22 percent.