Preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker shows a decline of 19.1 percent year over year in tablet shipments worldwide during the first quarter of 2023. This decrease resulted in a total of 30.7 million units shipped, which is similar to pre-pandemic levels. The shipment volume during this quarter is comparable to the same period in 2019 and 2018, with 30.1 million and 31.6 million units shipped, respectively.
Vendors are expected to focus on clearing out their current inventory in the first half of 2023, as the sell-in shipment is expected to be low. This is because newer models will be launched soon. On the other hand, Chromebook shipments also decreased in 1Q23, with a year-over-year decline of 31 percent. However, the decline was lower towards the end of the quarter, as some vendors pulled in orders due to an expected increase in the Chrome OS licensing cost in the second half of 2023. Overall, the first quarter of 2023 was not positive for the tablet and Chromebook market.
During Q1 2023, all major tablet vendors experienced a decline in shipments, despite coming from a healthy base compared to previous years. The decrease in demand can be attributed to a combination of employees returning to offices globally and consumers remaining cautious with their spending. However, with signs of economic recovery and easing inflation, there may be some improvement in shipments during the second half of 2023.
“Tablet vendors entered the first quarter of 2023 with caution. As expected, both commercial and consumer volumes were low as macro environment remained uncertain throughout Q1,” said Anuroopa Nataraj, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers. “However, what is noteworthy is the positive impact the restrictions from the pandemic had in the adoption of tablets and how many vendors seized the opportunity to devise and deploy models that aptly supported the use cases during the lockdowns and after. For instance, large screen tablets, ideal for remote learning and hybrid work situations, increased significantly in share compared to pre-pandemic levels.”
Apple and Samsung retained their positions as the top two tablet vendors, accounting for almost 58 percent of the market share. Huawei moved up to the third place with its competitive large-screen tablet portfolio. However, despite the positive response to their new models in PRC, their shipments still decreased by 9.7 percent year over year due to macro-economic factors. Lenovo came in fourth place with a reduction in volume due to weak demand. Finally, Amazon experienced the biggest decline with a 62 percent year-over-year drop in shipments, which can be attributed to seasonality, piled up inventory, and low demand.
Overall, the first quarter of 2023 was not favorable for tablet vendors, as all major players saw a decline in their shipments. However, the market may see some improvements in the coming months, especially with signs of global economic recovery.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.