Strategy Analytics: Video and Education Drive Demand for Bigger Tablets as Global Sales Increase for First Time Since 2014

Households are more crowded than ever at all times of the day with work, learning, and entertainment all occurring in the home as a result of COVID-19 counter-measures. To meet these needs consumers have been buying tablets at the fastest rate in six years, and as a result global sales are expected to increase 1% year-on-year to 160.8 million units in 2020, according to Strategy Analytics’ latest report. The analysis also shows that consumers are switching to larger displays, with a majority now larger than 10” for the first time. The increasing use of tablets for productivity and education has also led to higher sales of Detachable 2-in-1 devices (such as Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S7, Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7, and all of Apple’s current iPad models except for the iPad mini), which allow for a keyboard to be attached. The report suggests that, while tablet sales are likely to remain plateaued over the coming years, the trend towards devices which compete more seriously as notebook PC alternatives is likely to continue.

The full report from Strategy Analytics’ Connected Computing Devices (CCD) service, Tablet Display Size Shipment and Installed Base Forecast by Form Factor 2010-2025: H2 20 Update can be found here: https://www.strategyanalytics.com/access-services/devices/tablets-and-pcs/connected-computing-devices/market-data/report-detail/tablet-display-size-shipment-and-installed-base-forecast-by-form-factor-2010-2025-h2-20-update-220920

Eric Smith, Director – Connected Computing said, “Productivity is a key driver in these trends, but let’s face it: quarantine is boring and streaming video is always better on a larger screen. Even low-cost entertainment slate tablets have caught a piece of the boom in tablet demand. Small sized tablet demand is declining as large smartphones/phablets continue to put pressure on small tablet demand. Accordingly, tablet vendors have focused their portfolios on the 10″ to 13″ segment and notebook sizing has moved to 13″ and beyond for the most part. In addition to the shift toward larger screen sizes, detachable tablet shipments have more than doubled from 17% tablet market share in 2017 to 40% in 2020.”

Chirag Upadhyay, Senior Research Analyst added, “Notebook vendors are competing just as strongly for entertainment needs (like for gaming, or adding improved displays and audio) and have an advantage in the productivity category which has been built up over the last two years during the commercial PC refresh. Furthermore, economic stimulus during the pandemic may be driving artificially high demand and as reality sets in and in-person work and school become widely available once again, intense competition will result in more market consolidation. Over the long-term, this crash course in working from home will result in some portion of workers, students, and employers that will remain remote after the pandemic, sustaining a higher level of mobile computing demand than previously anticipated.”

Exhibit 1: Tablets Transforming to Compete More in the Notebook Domain¹

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