Global tablet shipments expected to fall 31% in first quarter of this year

Global tablet shipments are expected to decline in the first quarter of this year. A new report shows that global tablet device shipments will drop by 31% in the first quarter of 2021.

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According to a report from DigiTimesResearch, global tablet shipments climbed to a 13-quarter high of 51.56 million units in the fourth quarter of last year. However, this figure is expected to fall 31% in the first quarter of this year. In the fourth quarter of 2020, tablet shipments last year increased by 17.6% month-on-month and 19.3% year-on-year. The surge was mainly due to the growing demand for large-screen devices due to online education and working from home.

As demand for tablets grows, worsening chip supply shortages are likely to affect the supply chain in the first half of 2021, with several suppliers also raising component orders. Apple's launch of the 10.2-inch iPad also brought an increase in tablet shipments in the fourth quarter of last year. Another reason why shipments will decline this quarter is that this period is traditionally a slow season for tablet sales.

Global tablet shipments reached 159.76 million units in 2020. Despite this, shipments this year are expected to face a year-on-year decline due to component shortages in the first half of the year.