Filipinos seem to be losing interest in smart tablets—a device that proved crucial in facilitating online classes when pandemic restrictions were strictly implemented—as evidenced by the drop in sales last year to their lowest in over a decade, according to data from market intelligence firm International Data Corp. (IDC).
IDC, in its latest Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker report, noted that tablet shipments to the Philippines plunged by 39.8 percent to 750,000 units last year, the lowest since 2012.
Last year’s figure was about the same shipments received prior to the pandemic, the advisory firm noted.
“Tablet shipments dropped to prepandemic levels after averaging over a million units per year between 2020 and 2023,” said Angela Medez, senior market analyst at IDC Philippines.
The previous increase in sales was due to the government purchasing tablets to support online classes during the pandemic.
With the return of on-site classes, IDC estimates further contraction in tablet shipments this year.
“Until tablets can differentiate themselves from smartphones and PCs (personal computers) through innovation and unique positioning, they may not be consumers’ top choice for electronic purchases,” IDC added.
Not high on priority list
Last year, the top tablets vendor was Korean brand Samsung, with a market share of 29.5 percent. Its top-selling product was Galaxy Tab A9 and S9 FE series.
However, Samsung saw its sales drop by 42.1 percent to 221,500 units last year from 382,800 units in 2022.
Cherry Mobile came next with 105,600 units, equivalent to a 14.1-percent market share. Completing the top five were Huawei with an 11.8-percent share of the total pie; Xiaomi, 10 percent; and Realme, 8.9 percent. All the other brands accounted for the remaining 25.7 percent of tablet shipments last year.
Globally, tablet sales also saw a decline last year with shipments dropping by 20.5 percent to 128.5 million units, the lowest since 2011.
“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,” said Anuroopa Nataraj, senior research analyst. INQ