Global sales of tablet PCs nosedived by 58 percent during the first quarter of 2014.

Market research firm NPD Display Search also lowered its forecast for tablet shipment for 2014 due to the weak numbers in Q1.

NPD said that demand for smaller tablets, or those between 7 to 7.9 inches, plunged 58 percent year-on-year. It also reported there were only 56 million tablet computers shipped worldwide in the first quarter compared to 59 million units on-year. 

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By 2017, NPD predicts that annual growth for tablets will slow down to a single digit. 

It said one of the reasons for the drop in demand for tablets is rising competition from smartphones, especially those with display screens larger than 5.5 inches. Chinese consumers and those in other emerging markets prefer smartphones over tablets, NPD added.

NPD analyst Hidekazu Torii said there is a risk that the replacement cycle for tablet PCs will lengthen beyond the one to two year range unless brands can develop more attractive usage scenarios.

IDC, an American research company, also said the slowdown in demand for tablets is being felt globally. The research firm added that this slowdown is a challenge for electronic gadget manufacturers.

TagsNPD, Tablet, Decline in Tablet Shipment, Tech, gadget