PH tablet sales up 6.5% on online learning

The implementation of online learning, along with the government purchases, boosted the sales of tablet devices in the Philippines by 6.5 percent last year but shipments are expected to normalize with the return of in-person classes.

Data from International Data Corp. (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker showed that tablet shipments last year grew to 1.25 million units from 1.17 million in 2021.

Samsung and Cherry Mobile cornered the local market, accounting for 30.7 percent and 20.7 percent of the total unit delivered in 2022.

“Both Samsung and Cherry Mobile continued to dominate the tablet market space accounting for more than half of the total annual shipments in the last three years since the pandemic started in 2020,” IDC Philippines senior market analyst Angela Medez.

“Both brands greatly benefitted from the Department of Education’s Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan prompting mass procurement among DepEd divisions and concerned local government units,” she added.

Rounding up the top five brands were Realme with market share of 13.4 percent; Huawei, 9.8 percent, and Lenovo, 7.6 percent.

IDC expects tablet shipments to normalize this year because local government units were “no longer encouraged to donate tables in supporting schools” with the return of in-person classes.

“Despite new vendors entering the market, IDC anticipates consumer tablets to contract under unfavorable market conditions that will prompt existing players to operate conservatively,” the consumer market research firm added. For one, consumer prices have been on the rise, which can discourage additional household spending.

IDC, meanwhile, reported earlier that local smartphone shipments had declined by a record 8.6 percent to 16.3 million units last year as the public grappled with rising consumer prices.

Vendors slowed down their orders last year as they focused on moving their current inventory during the holiday season. INQ