IDC : Tablet sales decline further in thrid quarter of 2017, thanks to low cost convertibles
The end of tablet PC is coming and it is coming fast. Thanks to 2-in-1 and convertible PCs, tablet PC sales has continued to decline in 2017. According to IDC, in third quarter of 2017, tablets sales declined by 5.4%. Apple continued to lead at the top, followed by Samsung. Amazon, Huawei and Lenovo rounded off top 5. Samsung turned out to be the only tablet PC maker in top 5 to register negative growth. Samsung has to increase efforts in Smartphone and display markets in 2017 to compete with Chinese smartphone makers.
“There’s a penchant for low-cost slates and this holds true even for premium vendors like Apple,” said Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Device Trackers. “However, many of these low-cost slates are simply long-awaited replacements for consumers as first-time buyers are becoming harder to find and the overall installed base for these devices declines further in the coming years.”
“In a recent IDC survey, owners of both convertibles and detachables stated they were far more inclined to recommend a convertible to another shopper than a detachable,” said Linn Huang, research director, Devices & Displays. “Market momentum has steadily shifted away from the latter towards the former over the course of this year. The 2017 holiday season may prove to be a critical crossroad for the detachables category.”
Apple has managed to ship 10.3 million tablets in third quarter and have 25.8% marketshare, up from 21.9%. Samsung could only sell 6 million tablets, with slight decrease in market share. Thanks to iOS 11 providing better UI for iPads, Apple may have better quarter this time. Due to reducing interest in Tab A and E series, Samsung shipments may continue to reduce. Amazon managed to sell 4.4 million tablets, thanks to hit Fire tablet series. Huawei and Lenovo sold 3 million tablets each.
| Top Five Tablet Companies, Worldwide Shipments, Market Share, and Growth, Third Quarter 2017 (preliminary results, shipments in millions) | |||||
| Vendor | 3Q17 Unit Shipments | 3Q17 Market Share | 3Q16 Unit Shipments | 3Q16 Market Share | Year-Over-Year Growth |
| 1. Apple | 10.3 | 25.8% | 9.3 | 21.9% | 11.4% |
| 2. Samsung | 6.0 | 15.0% | 6.5 | 15.4% | -7.9% |
| 3. Amazon.com | 4.4 | 10.9% | 3.1 | 7.5% | 38.7% |
| 4. Huawei | 3.0 | 7.5% | 2.5 | 6.0% | 18.8% |
| 4. Lenovo | 3.0 | 7.4% | 2.7 | 6.5% | 8.9% |
| Others | 13.3 | 33.3% | 18.1 | 42.8% | -26.3% |
| Total | 40.0 | 100.0% | 42.3 | 100.0% | -5.4% |
| Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker, November 3, 2017 | |||||
