THE PHILIPPINE tablet market saw a decline of 39.8% to 750,300 units in 2023, marking the lowest shipments since 2012, according to International Data Corp. (IDC).
“Tablet shipments dropped to pre-pandemic levels after averaging over a million units per year between 2020 to 2023,” IDC Philippines Senior Market Analyst Angela V. Medez said in IDC’s report on Feb. 29.
“This was the lowest annual shipment recorded since 2012,” she added.
In 2023, Samsung led the Philippine market with a 29.5% share, IDC said, citing data from its Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker.
However, Samsung’s shipments decreased by 42.1% to 221,500 units in 2023 from 382,800 units a year earlier.
Cherry Mobile followed with a 14.1% share, selling 105,600 units, while Huawei and Xiaomi held 11.8% and 10% shares, respectively, shipping 88,700 and 74,700 units.
IDC reported a 35.1% increase in fourth-quarter shipments in 2023 due to multiple product launches by various brands.
Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab A9 & S9 FE series alone accounted for nearly 40% of the quarter’s 218,000 shipments.
IDC also anticipates a contraction in commercial tablet shipments this year as government agencies shift priorities away from procurement for distance learning programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Until tablets can differentiate themselves from smartphones and PCs through innovation and unique positioning, they may not be consumers’ top choice for electronic purchases,” said Ms. Medez.
Similar to the local trend, global tablet sales also dropped by 20.5% to 128.5 million units last year, marking the lowest sales since 2011. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante
