Global tablet shipments to drop over 8% in 2Q19, says Digitimes Research

Global shipments of tablet PCs are estimated to decline 8.9% sequentially and 8.7% on year in the second quarter of 2019, traditionally still a low season, Digitimes Research estimates.

Worldwide tablet shipments amounted to 37.15 million units in the first quarter, down 12.9% sequentially but up 13.8% on year. The on-year increase partly resulted from Apple's release of new iPad devices in March offsetting the low-season effect, and partly to Huawei enjoying robust shipments of its MediaPad series.

First-quarter shipments of white-box tablets, mostly 7-inch and 8-inch models, posted an annual decrease of 6.7% amid growing demand for larger devices.

In terms of first-quarter 2019 global tablet shipment rankings, Apple firmly retained the top spot, and Huawei unseated Samsung Electronics as the No. 2 vendor. But it remains to be seen as to whether Huawei can sustain strong shipment performance amid a gradual sales slowdown in the global tablet market.

Among other major tablet vendors, Lenovo retreated to sixth place, one notch behind Microsoft in the first quarter. The shipment rankings for the second quarter are expected to stay the same as the first quarter.

As to spec changes for tablets shipped in the first quarter, two thirds of new offerings were 10.x-inch ones and the shipment ratio for 10.x-inch tablets surged by 11pp on quarter. The shipment ratio for 10.x-inch and above tablets, if including 11.x-inch and higher models shipped by Lenovo, soared past 50% for the first time in the first quarter and is expected to pick up further in the second quarter amid declining shipment momentum for 9.7-inch iPads.

With regard to processor shipments for brand tablets, Qualcomm outstripped MediaTek as the No. 2 supplier in the first quarter of 2019, as MediaTek's tablet processors were mainly for 7-and 8-inch models offered by Amazon, and suffered sharp shipment decreases in the quarter. With Amazon's lackluster tablet shipments expected to linger through the second quarter, Digitimes Research expects the tablet processor shipment rankings to stay unchanged in the quarter.