The average selling price (ASP) of Ultrabooks and tablets declined by 7.8% in 2014, as the market matured and commoditized, allowing these devices to become more affordable in all markets. According to ABI Research, the average weeks of household income needed to buy a tablet or Ultrabook both declined by approximately 30% year over year, making these devices more affordable to a wider range of consumers.

“Across 22 different countries between 2013 and 2014, there was an 8.5% decline for the ASP of tablets and 7.1% for Ultrabooks,” said Stephanie Van Vactor, research analyst. “This decline is allowing these devices to reach a larger audience in a wider range of countries.”

Although growth is slowing for both of these types of devices, affordability could help prevent a drastic decline in sales. The affordability of personal technology devices is strongest in many mature markets, such as the U.S., Japan, and Germany, primarily due to the higher household income. However, ABI Research notes that Chile experienced the largest decline in ASP, 56% for both tablets and Ultrabooks combined; tablets experienced the largest decline at 70.3%, due to the increase in selection and competition caused by lower-end devices entering the market between 2013 and 2014.

In contrast, India experienced the largest increase in ASP between 2013 and 2014, at an average of 22% for both tablets and Ultrabooks; tablets alone experienced an increase of 34.5%, due to the surge of an e-commerce presence, Apple products, and mid-tiered devices.

For more information, visit www.abiresearch.com.