Tablet Market Growth Hits Seven Year High

Tablet Market Growth Hits Seven Year High
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A years-long strategy to transform tablets into low-cost productivity devices is finally paying off, according to Strategy Analytics. This preparation by major vendors served critical needs in the back-to-school season, as consumers and educational institutions bought a record number of tablets to support the transition to e-learning environments. As the world approaches a second wave of infections ahead of winter, tablets are proving to be credible mobile computing alternatives to notebooks, even as both segments are experiencing record levels of demand in 2020.

“We are potentially entering a new era of mobile computing that places a stronger emphasis on productivity in the household, boosting overall mobile computing ownership. Tablets are rightly being recognized for the productivity power they provide at a lower price point than most notebooks while doubling up on the strong entertainment and casual usage in a time when many people are consuming content at home during the pandemic. So while these incredibly high growth rates in 2020 are the result of pandemic-related lockdowns, we see this as part of a longer-term work and learn-from-home trend rather than just a blip on the radar,“ said Eric Smith, Director Connected Computing at Strategy Analytics.

“The variety of Android options throughout all price tiers helped vendors reach a wide audience as low-cost options for schooling from home; even basic slate tablets are capable of many primary school workloads. Samsung, Lenovo, and Huawei experienced higher shipments and profitability during the quarter in most regions. It is important to note that these three vendors are also on the cutting edge of producing high quality Android and Chrome Detachables at prices generally lower than the iPad competition. Due to shifting Prime Day from July to October in 2020, Amazon showed a -8% year-on-year growth decline during the quarter even with nearly 5 million units shipped,“ added Chirag Upadhyay, Senior Research Analyst.