Tablet sales down 21.5% on year, up 7.3% on quarter

Apple led this quarter, accounting for 21.3% of unit sales. (Source: Apple)

Digitimes research shows that tablet shipments for 2016 are down 21.5% on year, but up 7.3% on quarter. It could be the end of a long downturn for the tablet market.

Douglas Black, Published 12/08/2016

A report by Digitimes research shows a 21.5% on-year drop for global tablet shipments but strong 7.3% growth on quarter. The report notes that 7-inch tablets lead shipments, accounting for over 30% of sales. The leading vendors were Apple and Samsung with 21.3% and 15% of the market, respectively. Other vendors accounted for 6% of sales or less each.

In comparison to notebook sales, which have recorded their first on-year growth after 8 quarters of decline, the 21.5% on-year drop looks like very dark clouds. However, 7.3% on-quarter growth is certainly a silver lining, especially for a market that has been continuously disrupted by both smartphones and 2-in-1 convertibles for years. With 51.29 million units shipped this quarter (almost 10 million more than notebooks), it's possible that this signals the stabilization of the tablet market.

More details in Digitimes' report here.