What Display Daily thinks: Don’t waste your time fretting over the tablet market? I mean, tablets have been up and down, more down than up, with no sigh of them every fulfilling their potential as bridge between laptops and smartphones. Do we need that bridge?
It doesn’t matter. Tablets are awkward to hold and manage. They are an acquired taste. My guess, nay, my belief is that larger fordable form factors will eventually blur the lines between devices and find more acceptance.
I also firmly believe that the foldable tablet is the harbinger of foldable displays in IT products, and there’s gold in them hills. Does that mean we have strictly defined foldable devices? No, not necessarily. It just means we have too much space given up for keyboards and trackpads when the area could be much more productively used with displays, tactile haptic feedback under glass, and more sensors.
Tablets are an anachronism.
The Global Tablet Market Sees Worst Year Since 2011
n the final quarter of 2023, the global tablet market witnessed a significant downturn, with shipments plummeting by 17.4% year-over-year to reach 36.8 million units. This decline marked the most substantial drop in fourth quarter shipments since 2016. Throughout 2023, the market continued to struggle, as total shipments fell to 128.5 million units, a 20.5% decrease from 2022, resulting in the lowest annual shipment volume observed since 2011.
| Company | 2023 Unit Shipments (Millions) | 2023 Market Share (%) | 2022 Unit Shipments (Millions) | 2022 Market Share (%) | Year-Over-Year Growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | 48.5 | 37.8 | 60.5 | 37.4 | -19.8 |
| Samsung | 26.2 | 20.4 | 30.4 | 18.8 | -13.9 |
| Lenovo | 9.3 | 7.2 | 11.6 | 7.1 | -19.7 |
| Huawei | 8.7 | 6.8 | 9.1 | 5.6 | -4.0 |
| Amazon.com | 5.5 | 4.2 | 16.0 | 9.9 | -65.9 |
| Others | 30.3 | 23.6 | 34.1 | 21.1 | -11.1 |
| Total | 128.5 | 100.0 | 161.6 | 100.0 | -20.5 |
The downturn in tablet shipments has been attributed to several factors, including economic challenges and shifts in consumer spending priorities away from consumer electronics. The lack of significant advancements in the sector, coupled with project delays and spending freezes, contributed to widespread postponements in purchases.
Despite these challenges, Apple succeeded in maintaining its leadership position in the market, although it faced a significant decline in shipments by 29.3% in the fourth quarter and 19.8% annually. This resulted in a slight reduction in Apple’s market share for the quarter, though its full-year share remained stable at over 37%. Samsung secured the second spot, showing relatively stable results and minor fluctuations in market share.
Notably, Xiaomi and Huawei emerged as strong performers in the fourth quarter, with Xiaomi’s shipments surging by 35.0% and Huawei’s by 21.2%. Xiaomi’s aggressive marketing strategies and global expansion efforts enabled it to surpass Amazon in the rankings for the fourth quarter. Huawei demonstrated the most robust performance among the top five companies for the year, with a minimal annual shipment decline of 4.0%.
Looking ahead to 2024, there is potential for recovery in the tablet market if economic conditions improve. However, challenges persist, and while technological advancements are expected to focus primarily on PCs and smartphones, tablets are anticipated to become increasingly relevant in the discourse surrounding AI and technology development.
| Company | 4Q23 Unit Shipments (Millions) | 4Q23 Market Share (%) | 4Q22 Unit Shipments (Millions) | 4Q22 Market Share (%) | YoY Growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | 14.9 | 40.6 | 21.1 | 47.4 | -29.3 |
| Samsung | 7.3 | 19.8 | 7.8 | 17.5 | -6.6 |
| Huawei | 2.8 | 7.6 | 2.3 | 5.2 | 21.2 |
| Lenovo | 2.6 | 7.1 | 2.3 | 5.2 | 12.9 |
| Xiaomi | 1.6 | 4.3 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 35.0 |
| Others | 7.6 | 20.6 | 9.8 | 22.1 | -22.7 |
| Total | 36.8 | 100.0 | 44.6 | 100.0 | -17.4 |
