According to the International Data Corporation's latest report, global tablet shipments have essentially returned to the market's "pre-pandemic levels" in Q1 2023, at a grand total of 30.7 million units.
But while such a return would undoubtedly be great news for the smartphone market, which is currently going through a much tougher time than back in 2018 or 2019, worldwide tablet demand actually flourished during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, now dropping to far less impressive numbers.
The aforementioned 30.7 million unit tally, in case you're wondering, is comparable to the 31.6 million and 30.1 million counts of Q1 2018 and Q1 2019 respectively while looking terribly modest when pitted against the industry's Q1 2021 and Q1 2022 sales results of 39.9 million and 38 million units respectively.
What we're dealing with here right now is a steep 19.1 percent decline for the market as a whole compared to the global score posted at the end of the first three months of last year, and that's reflected in a double-digit drop for no less than four of the top five vendors out there.
In these circumstances, Huawei can actually be content with slipping just 9.7 percent year-over-year, which allowed the Chinese tech giant to jump from fifth to third place, leaving both Lenovo and Amazon behind. What's interesting is that Amazon and Huawei have traded positions between Q1 2022 and Q1 2023, which means that Lenovo was able to hold on to its fourth spot among the world's largest tablet vendors despite seeing its sales figures plummet by 37.1 percent.
Of course, Amazon experienced an even larger drop caused by "seasonality, piled up inventory", and naturally, straight-up "low demand", but that's where Prime Day is expected to come in soon with some of the best Fire tablet sales of the year.
In first and second places respectively, Apple and Samsung suffered pretty similar year-over-year dips in Q1 2023, which allowed both companies to improve their market shares at the expense of the likes of Lenovo and Amazon.
Based on everything that we know at the moment, the next iPad and Galaxy Tab releases are unlikely to take place by the end of the current quarter, so the two companies may have to wait a little while before they can improve their shipment figures as well.
It remains to be seen if Google's fast-approaching Pixel Tablet will become the kind of instant hit the industry seems to badly need right now, which knowing Google... is pretty unlikely. But the tablet market should show signs of recovery in the second half of the year, according to IDC analysts, as the global economy continues to recover.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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