Apple started off the week on a high note but even that can do little to wash away the fact that the iPad's popularity has been on the decline for quite some time. The latest report from market research and analytics firm International Data Corporation (IDC) casts a dark shadow not only over Apple but the tablet industry as a whole.

Worldwide tablet shipments are expected to increase just 7.2 percent for 2014 to 235.7 million units. Those may sound like modest numbers but they pale in comparison to the 52.5 percent growth that tablet manufacturers enjoyed last year.

For Apple, 2014 will go down as the first full year in which the iPad will see a yearly decline in shipment volume with the Cupertino-based company expected to ship just 64.9 million units - 12.7 percent fewer than last year. It's a bit ironic when you consider there are now more iPad models to choose from than ever before.

There are plenty of reasons why tablets aren't flying off store shelves as fast as they once were. For starters, the market is slowly creeping up on its saturation point meaning most of the people that want a tablet have already purchased one.

What's more, people tend to hold on to their tablets longer than they do a smartphone despite the fact that tablets are generally cheaper. As daily companions, smartphones see more use and abuse which is one reason why they're upgraded so frequently. What's more, wireless providers have made it much easier to get a new phone than in previous years.