Tablet shipments hit a 12-year low declining by over 20% in 2023

• There was a massive decline in worldwide tablet shipments in 2023.
• Worldwide tablet shipments declined by over 20% to reach a new low since 2011.
• Apple leads the worldwide tablet market in 2023, with a market share of nearly 40%.

The worldwide tablet shipments have recorded a huge decline in the fourth quarter of 2023, marking the largest decline in Q4 shipments since 2016. Moreover, shipments declined over 20% in 2023 to hit a new low since 2011.

According to a report by the International Data Corporation (IDC), the worldwide tablet shipments in 2023 were 128.5 million devices, recording a decline of 20.5%. This is the lowest volume of shipments in the world since 2011. Shipments in Q4 2023 reached 36.8 million, recording a decline of 17.4% year-on-year.

"With no significant improvements to the economy and consumers allocating their money to things beyond consumer electronics, tablets may not be very high on the priority list. Project delays and spending freezes have also led to purchase postponement through much of 2023," said Anuroopa Nataraj, senior research analyst with IDC's Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers.

Apple leads Q4 2023 despite a decline

Source: IDC

Apple continued to dominate the worldwide tablet market, occupying a market share of over 40%, despite a decline in shipments. The Cupertino tech giant recorded a decline of 29.3% year-on-year.

Samsung, a distant second, recorded a slight decline in shipments but continues to hold its position.

Huawei, Lenovo and Xiaomi, which hold the next three positions, reported a growth in shipments Q4 2023.

2023 shipments decline for all companies

Source: IDC

There has been a decline in shipments of all top five companies globally in 2023, with Amazon taking the biggest hit with a decline of 65.9%.

Apple, which leads the market in 2023, recorded shipments of 48.5 million devices, down from 60.5 million devices, registering a decline of 19.8%.

Analysts cautious about 2024

While shipments are expected to recover in 2024, analysts are cautious as this depends on the overall macroeconomic situation. Additionally, the rising popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) could mean that computers and smartphones will be in the spotlight in 2024.

"2024 is expected to show some rebound opportunities, provided the year is more economically sound. However, overall challenges remain in the tablet market, and technological advances around AI will likely focus more on the PC and smartphone for the next two years, but tablets will increasingly become part of that conversation,” said Nataraj.

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