Tablet sales ended 2023 on a downbeat note as the numbers dropped a significant 11% in the final quarter compared to the same period last year, according to market research firm Canalys. 

This slump brings the total decline for the year to 10%, with just 135.3 million tablets shipped – the lowest since 2011.

Tablet Sales Q4 2023 report by Canalus

“Even with holiday promotions and bundle deals, the tablet market couldn’t escape its slide,” said Himani Mukka, an analyst at Canalys. 

However, she predicts a rebound in 2024, thanks to factors like better inventory management, government purchases, and new tablet models from players like TCL and Lenovo. 

Apple is also expected to refresh its iPad lineup this year which could further help boost the market. 

Despite the overall decline, Apple remained the top seller, shipping 14.8 million iPads in the final quarter – though that’s still a 24% drop compared to 2022. Samsung followed in second with 6.8 million units, down 10.5% annually. 

Tablet Sales Q4 2023

Huawei took third place with 2.8 million units which is a growth of 95.4% compared to Q4, 2022. Whereas, Lenovo also saw a healthy growth of 15% with 2.6 million units shipped to reach fourth place. Amazon rounded out the top five with 2 million units shipped but suffered a 43.9% annual decline.

Analysts believe innovation is key to reversing the tablet market’s fortunes. Kieran Jessop from Canalys points to the “gap between tablets and other personal computing devices” in terms of features like on-device AI integration. 

They say bridging this gap and creating a more unified user experience across devices will be crucial for vendors. 

In contrast to the tablet market, PC shipments are expected to see an 8% rise in 2024, reaching 267 million units. This growth is attributed to the upcoming Windows refresh cycle and the emergence of AI-capable and Arm-based devices.

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