Tablet Shipments Continue To Decline In Q1 Of 2017

IDC released its latest report on the total number of tablet shipments throughout Q1 of 2017.

On May 04^th, IDC released its latest report on the state of the tablets market. Targeting the first quarter of 2017, it showed that this industry continues being on a downwards trend. More exactly, this was the tenth straight quarter to report a decrease in the number of tablet shipments when compared to the year before.

IDC’s report shows that the total number of tablets sold throughout this first quarter reached 36.2 million units. Although the number may seem significant, it still marks an 8.5 percent decrease when compared to the same period in 2016.

Apple tablet shipments seem to have taken the biggest fall. The company retains its top position in the market as it holds a 24.6 percent share. In 2017’s first quarter, the company sold some 8.9 million iPads. However, their shipments number slipped by 13 percent when compared to last year’s Q1.

Fall of the Tablet Shipments a Reflection of the Consumer Interest

Most consider that these consecutive declines of the market are a sign of the consumers waning interest. This is in direct contrast to the public’s response to such devices.

“The rate at which the tablet market grew from 2010 to 2013 was unlike many other consumer-oriented device markets we’ve seen before,” said Ryan Reith.

He is IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Device Trackers Program Vice President. Reith stated that there appear to be many reasons for the public’s decision to slowly step away from this market. Most seem to have decided to stop ‘refreshing’ their devices by buying new ones. Others did not purchase them at all.

One of the main reasons, however, for the falling tablet shipments is the smartphone market. The consumer’s interest is still growing, especially as these devices have started coming with larger screens. Basically, this ensures the same mobility on a bigger display, quite taking away a tablet’s function.

Samsung, Amazon, and Lenovo, other tablet market players had a basically flat quarter. The only company to report an increase was Huawei. This reported a 35 percent increase in shipments compared to 2016’s Q1 which translated into 2.7 million shipped units.

Image Source: Flickr

Bio
Latest Posts

Anne-Marie Jackson

Anna grew up on a steady diet of 20th century literature, science-fiction movies and Viking lore. Unsurprisingly she turned into a technology geek with an inclination for history & fantasy.