Worldwide tablet shipments have risen at a slower pace and will grow at only a single-digit rate in 2015, according to MediaTek.

About 70 million iPads were shipped in 2014, while shipments of Windows tablets reached around 15 million units. Including shipments of Android tablets, estimated at 170-175 million units, the overall shipments of tablets worldwide came to 255-260 million units in 2014, MediaTek said.

Growth in the iPad shipments slowed down in 2014, while shipments of Windows tablets increased only slightly, MediaTek indicated. For 2015, MediaTek forecast tablet shipments worldwide will grow as much as 9%.

Some industry observers suggested that the global tablet market will come under pressure in 2015, due to the impact of large-screened smartphone penetration on the adoption of tablets.

In response, MediaTek said the enterprise, educational and gaming markets will sustain tablet shipment growth in 2015. Meanwhile, shipments will also be driven by replacement demand, the company noted. It is unlikely shipments will stop growing in 2015, the company added.