With sales of printed newspapers in decline and widespread expectation of free news online, publishers need a radical change of strategy in the way they deliver content, to win back the public’s wallets. News site paywalls are currently testing the most straightforward route, offering users unique and diverse content in exchange for a subscription fee, in a bid to effectively monetise a loyal digital audience. The question is, will tablets – bringing with them a richer, and more engaging user experience – be the bridge that turns the trickle of paying digital news readers into a flood?

Despite a deluge of new device offerings, tablet PCs look unlikely to become mass market this year, meaning individual manufacturers will have to strongly differentiate their products to grab the limited share of the market available. Apple still dominates in consumer minds, but Samsung, Blackberry and other Android devices look set to offer a compelling challenge.

 

As expected, February’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and the CES show in January revealed a surge of new tablet offerings from the major hardware manufacturers, all vying to compete with the success of the ubiquitous Apple iPad.

But while the tablet market is clearly in ascendancy, at present it is still very much nascent and we are unlikely to see the same growth this year as we expect from other categories, such as Smartphones.[i]

2011 tablet market likely to remain niche