What They Say
Tablet shipments of tablets were 34.69 million in Q2 2021, down 3.5% from Q1, but up 12.5% year on year according to Digitimes Research. The firm said that chip shortages were a factor. Volumes are expected to rise by 30% in Q3 to the second-highest quarterly level since the outbreak. The good result will be because of new products and seasonality. Lenovo are expected to go past Amazon into third place in Q3. Apple and Samsung are the top two brands. TCL will also leapfrog Huawei, Microsoft and Honor to become the fifth-largest tablet brand worldwide in the third quarter, benefiting primarily from its dual-brand strategy.
Tablets of 11″ plus are expected to go past 20% after getting over 17% in Q2. Digitimes research said that there is an improved yield rate for miniLED backlight modules and stabilized supply of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
MediaTek-based brand tablets will see their shipment share remain at above 30% in the third and fourth quarters, but the percentage will continue to slip, because of IC shortages and the fact that shipments of Appel’s M1-powered iPads have started climbing.
Taiwan accounted for 40% of the supply volume.
What We Think
Apple said in its Q2 earnings call that the iPad had its most succesful Q2 for nearly a decade. IDC estimated the Apple volume as 12.9 million, well above Samsung at 8 million. One of my hobbies in music and one of the few areas where I find myself tempted to go into the Apple system is with an iPad as there are so many good apps for that use. I can even get a custom movable holder that would sit on my keyboard to fit. I’d love the Pro, but that would be too big an investment for the amount I’d probably use it. Get thee behind me, Tim Cook! BR)
