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Tablet Specs Now Favoring Productivity Over Portability

With tablets gaining a wider consumer base, tablet specifications are undergoing changes to meet the demands of a diverse range of applications.
Display sizes are increasing every year to cater to the growing range and consumption of multimedia and applications.
Battery capacity has seen continued advancements following the adoption of bigger displays.
Previously seen as only optional, devices such as the stylus and external keyboard have been accepted as necessary tools to realize the tablet’s fullest capabilities.

From a device used by a niche consumer base to a device widely used for work, study and entertainment at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the tablet has covered a big distance in a short span of time. This surge in its popularity can be attributed to its ability to combine the portable appeal of smartphones and the productivity offered by notebooks. The popularity, in turn, has triggered changes and improvements in the tablet’s features to meet the demands of a diverse range of applications.

These changes range from enhancements in technical specifications to refinements in the tablet’s light and slim structure. However, with tablets steadily approaching maturity in the market, certain ubiquitous preferences have emerged that are shifting the device away from its core design philosophy of portability. The focus is now more on increasing its productivity by improving certain technical parameters and features.

Tablet display size

One such improvement is the steady increase in display sizes. Being the sole medium through which users interact with tablets, displays have increased in size with every subsequent year, despite an increase in the weight of the device, to cater to the growing range and consumption of multimedia and applications.

Global Tablet Market Shipment Share by Display Size

Source: Counterpoint Research

Over the three years from 2020 to 2022, tablets continued to adopt increasingly larger display sizes with the 11” and above screens gaining share in total volumes. This trend is expected to continue in 2023. With the display sizes of 11” and above taking 34% of the tablet market in 2022 and forecasted to grow an additional around 4% points in 2023, tablets have started to take on roles traditionally filled by laptops for tasks in professional and educational settings, according to Counterpoint’s Tablet Research.

Battery capacity

An increased battery capacity is another technical aspect that has seen continued advancements following the adoption of bigger displays. Occupying the maximum weight in a tablet, larger battery capacities have been crucial in supporting the ever-increasing demand for more power, stemming from larger and brighter displays and other performance enhancements.

Average Battery Capacity

Source: Counterpoint Research

After remaining relatively stagnant until 2021, the average battery capacity of tablets increased by 8% in 2022 due to the pandemic-triggered increase in usage. With the emphasis now being placed on longer usage than portability, tablet OEMs have started introducing devices with larger battery capacities to reduce the frequency of charging between uses. The average battery capacity is expected to continue growing, reaching 6658 mAh in 2023.

External hardware

Lastly, the most noticeable shift in preference from mobility to productivity is the acceptance of external hardware as the new normal in the use of tablets. Previously seen as only optional, devices such as the stylus and external keyboard have been accepted not as remedial devices but as necessary tools to realize the tablet’s fullest capabilities. While these devices still come separate from tablets, they are offered by most tablet OEMs, with the majority of popular tablets optimized for their combined usage.

While tablets are still valued for their lightweight nature compared to their heavier and bulkier notebook counterparts, they are expected to continue favoring productivity over portability as larger tablets continue to maintain their popularity among consumers and grow further upon the increasing frequency of adoption of these preferences.

Pandemic Pushes OLED Tablet Popularity, Jump in Penetration Expected in 2024

Global PC Shipments Fall 15% YoY in Q2 2023, Record First QoQ Growth After Q1 2022

Global PC shipments fell 15% YoY in Q2 2023 but rose 8% QoQ.
PC OEMs’ rankings remained unchanged.
HP and Apple reported relatively resilient performance.
We maintain a double-digit YoY shipment decline outlook for 2023.
Global PC shipments will return to pre-COVID-19 levels in H2 2023.

London, Hong Kong, Boston, Toronto, New Delhi, Beijing, Taipei, Seoul – July 14, 2023

Global PC shipments fell 15% YoY in Q2 2023 but rose 8% QoQ, according to Counterpoint’s PC tracker service. Although the inventory levels continued to normalize in Q2, another double-digit YoY decline was recorded after the 28% YoY decline in Q1. Therefore, the YoY decline in Q2 can be seen as relatively stabilizing the shipment downturn since Q1 2022. Also, the QoQ growth in Q2 was the first since Q1 2022. The shipment numbers of Q2 can be considered an early sign of stabilization in the PC market. We can expect a mild recovery in H2 2023 due to the absence of solid growth drivers.

Source: Counterpoint Research

Vendors except HP and Apple suffered double-digit shipment declines

Lenovo’s solid #1 place in shipments remained unchanged in Q2, though the company still experienced an 18% YoY decline due to persistent soft demand in some markets. The double-digit sequential growth is a sign of normalizing demand and healthier inventory levels.

HP’s 22% market share was the highest since Q2 2021, while its resilient shipment numbers were a mix of early inventory correction and incremental Chromebook orders.

Dell reported sequential shipment growth in the quarter but a double-digit YoY decline due to overall demand weakness.

Apple saw a high single-digit shipment growth when compared to last year. The growth was largely due to the relatively low Q2 2022 and partially due to new product launches.

Negative factors are weakening in H2 2023

Though the global PC market shipments saw their first QoQ rise after Q1 2022 in Q2, according to Counterpoint’s Macro Index Tracker, the market may have to experience some turbulence in the second half of this year before seeing the first sunrise. Based on our checks, the end demand has picked up to become stronger than OEM shipments (sell-in), which would likely translate into accelerating re-order demand. In H2 2023, we are expecting back-to-school momentum to strengthen sales numbers coupled with potential AI-enabled and Arm laptop launches. Overall, the market is stepping away from the lull and moving toward a new post-COVID-19 normal.

Source: Counterpoint Research

Global PC shipments to return to pre-COVID-19 levels in H2 2023

We expect the QoQ rebound seen in Q2 2023 to sustain throughout the rest of the year. However, we reiterate our cautiously optimistic view on shipment performance in H2, as we still expect the shipments to decline YoY in the coming quarters before ultimately regaining their growth momentum. Therefore, we maintain our outlook of a double-digit YoY shipment decline in the 2023 full year. But the shipments will return to pre-COVID-19 levels in H2 2023.

We believe the PC inventory will enter 2024 at a healthy level after two more quarters of adjustments. Replacement demand, AI-enabled models and Chromebook renewal could be potential growth drivers even as we keep a close eye on enterprise expenditure plans.

Apple Mac Studio First Impressions: Mighty Little Computer for Creative Professionals

The refreshed Apple Mac Studio was launched during WWDC 2023.
It is powered by the M2 Max SoC or M2 Ultra SoC and comes with up to 192GB of unified memory and 8TB of SSD.
The Mac Studio has a price tag starting at $1,999.

Apple announced the new Mac Studio earlier this month at the WWDC 2023. Although it looks the same as last year’s Mac Studio, the internals have seen an upgrade. With prices starting at $1,999, the new Mac Studio is powered by either the M2 Max SoC or M2 Ultra SoC, while the memory and storage can be configured depending on the user’s needs.

We have acquired the M2 Max variant at the Counterpoint studio and have customized the machine with 64GB of unified storage and 1TB SSD, which cost around $2,599.

WATCH: Apple Mac Studio: Unboxing and First Impressions

Here are our initial impressions:

Solid build, compact and neat design

Unlike Windows-powered desktop computers, the Mac Mini and Mac Studio line have a very impressive compact design. Although it weighs between 2.7kg and 3.6kg, depending on the configuration, it takes up little space, reduces clutter and looks neat. The Mac Studio is a square-shaped aluminum box with rounded corners, a flat top with the Apple logo, and flat edges.

The bottom half is tapered and has grille holes for the exhaust fan. The back houses all the major connectivity ports and a grille for ventilation. Talking about buttons and ports, you get two USB-C (Thunderbolt 4) ports in the front along with one SDXC card slot.

At the back, there are four Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, a 10Gb ethernet port, one HDMI port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a power button. The main power port is in the center. Overall, we love the neat and clean design.

One notable aspect is the use of sustainable materials for packaging. The packaging box is made from recycled cardboard and there is no plastic used.

ALSO READ: Vision Pro, iOS 17, New Macs: Here’s Everything Announced at Apple WWDC 2023

Mac Studio specifications and configurations

The Mac Studio is available with either M2 Max or M2 Ultra SoC options. The base model with M2 Max SoC comes with a 12-core CPU, 30-core GPU, and a 16-core neural engine for $1,999. For an additional $200, users can opt for a 38-core GPU.

Made on TSMC’s 5nm process node, the M2 Max has 67 billion transistors, and its AI performance can reach 15.8 TOPS (trillion operations per second). The chipset supports up to 10 streams of 8K ProRes video playback and support for up to five displays. It also brings upgrades to the wireless connections in the form of Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, making it future-proof for the next few years (although Wi-Fi 7 will become widely available from early 2024 after the standard is finalized).

For a more powerful machine, users can get one with the M2 Ultra SoC featuring a 24-core CPU, 60-core GPU, and 32-core neural engine starting at $3,999. For an additional $1,000, users can get a 76-core GPU.

With the base model of M2 Max SoC, you get 512GB of SSD and 32GB of unified memory, but configurations allow up to 96GB of unified memory and 8TB SSD. This maxed-out version will cost $5,399. Similarly, the M2 Ultra Mac Studio base model comes with 64GB unified memory and 1TB SSD, which can be reconfigured to get up to a massive 192GB of unified memory and 8TB of SSD. The maxed-out version costs $7,799.

ALSO READ: MacBook Pro 16 with M1 Pro SoC First Impressions: A Promising Upgrade for Content Creators

Initial impressions

It has only been a day since we got our hands on the Apple Mac Studio and we are still setting up the apps we require, like Adobe Premier Pro and After Effects, along with the required resources. Currently, we are using the M1 Pro-powered MacBook Pro 14 and MacBook Pro 16 as our video editing devices at the Counterpoint studio. We often run out of memory when rendering videos with a big timeline that includes audio, video, and some effects. That is a key reason why dedicated workstations are a must-have. With our new Mac Studio, featuring 64GB of unified storage, we expect the video editing process to be much smoother.

That said, we will be putting our M2 Max-powered Mac Studio through the paces for editing different forms of content and assessing the gaming performance. We will be putting it under stress tests too. More about the performance will be presented in our upcoming review, so stay tuned!

White Paper: Growth Potential for Accessible Premium Tablets in Emerging Markets

Growth Potential for Accessible Premium Tablets in Emerging Markets

WHITE PAPER

PDF | 16 pages
Published date: 25th May 2023

Overview

Having faced a substantial surge in demand during the COVID-19 pandemic from work/study-from-home measures, tablets have become more commonplace in our device ecosystems, expanding their application of solely being used for multimedia to a wider array of business, productivity and creativity. As more applications for tablets emerge, the tablet market is likely to face further paradigm shifts as specifications and device options diversify further.

Table of Content

Introduction
Tablet Market Analysis & Forecast
- Global Tablet Market Analysis
- Global Tablet Market Forecast
- India as an Emerging Market
Bigger and Better Displays, Larger Battery Trends Unlock Further Tablet Productivity
- Display (Size, Refresh Rate)
- Network Capability (Cellular vs Wi-Fi)
- Battery Capacity (mAh)
- Productivity (Device Ecosystems)
OnePlus Pad Looks to Invigorate a Banal Tablet Market
- OnePlus Pad’s Distinct Features and Offerings
- New Android iPad Challenger
- OnePlus’ Promising Outlook

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Infographic: Mobile Market Monitor
(Q1 and Q2 2023)
Global Smartphone Shipments Market Data
(Q3 2021 – Q2 2023)
China Smartphone Shipments Market Data
(Q1 2022 – Q2 2023)
US Smartphone Shipments Market Data
(Q1 2022 – Q2 2023)
India Smartphone Shipments Market Data
(Q1 2022 – Q2 2023)

CONTRIBUTORS

John Doe

Designer

John Doe

Designer

John Doe

Designer

John Doe

Designer

John Doe

Designer

John Doe

Designer

Global PC Shipments See Record YoY Decline in Q4 2022

Global PC shipments fell 27.8% YoY in Q4 2022 to reach 65.2 million units.
For the full year of 2022, the shipments declined 15% YoY.
Macroeconomic headwinds, increasing inflation pressure and frozen PC demand affected the global PC market in 2022.
Soft demand in H1 2023 will cause heavy pressure on shipments. Therefore, we do not see annual shipment growth in 2023.

Taipei, London, Hong Kong, Boston, Toronto, New Delhi, Beijing, Seoul – January 19, 2023

Global PC shipments left Q4 2022 with a record-high YoY decline of 27.8% to reach 65.2 million units, according to Counterpoint Research’s data. Although inventory levels of several OEMs and ODMs likely peaked in Q3 2022, the year-end season failed to accelerate the PC shipment momentum in Q4. At 286 million units, the total PC shipments for 2022 also reflect a muted global PC demand with four consecutive quarters of YoY shipment declines. Therefore, we are not expecting a decent rebound in H1 2023.

Macroeconomic headwinds, increasing inflation pressure and frozen PC demand affected the global PC market in 2022, with shipments declining 15% YoY. Besides, consumers who bought new PCs were still enjoying the latest models, whereas enterprises were working more carefully on their budgets. Also, the lack of appealing functions and financial support could not bring in incremental demand in 2022, not to mention the aggressive inventory digestion target of OEMs since H1 2022.

Record YoY Shipment Decline in Q4 2022

Source: Counterpoint Research

Lenovo continued to lead the market in Q4 2022 but with a flattish 23.7% share. Mild inventory correction dragged the company’s performance amid a lackluster holiday season. Its shipments declined 17% YoY in 2022 to take a 23.7% market share. We expect Lenovo’s shipment decline to normalize along with demand revival in the Chinese market in 2023.

HP secured its second place in Q4 2022 with a 20.3% share. Its shipments declined 29% YoY during the quarter but it was the only major PC OEM to report positive sequential shipment growth in Q4, thanks to improving shipment performance in North America and a lower base in Q3. HP had the largest shipment pullback in 2022 due to weak consumer demand across the globe. The company ultimately recorded a below 20% market share in 2022. But we expect a meaningful share rebound in 2023.

Dell’s 16.7% market share was the lowest in the past seven quarters largely due to an enterprise demand slowdown. As the economic situation remains weak, the company is not expected to see rapid pick-up for commercial models in 2023, which is crucial for Dell to narrow the market share gap with HP. Therefore, we may see pressures on Dell’s share (17.4% in 2022) and shipment performance in 2023.

Apple’s comparatively tiny 3% YoY shipment decline in Q4 2022 helped the company close the book with a flattish shipment volume performance for 2022. Apple kept gaining market share at the expense of x86-based vendors and recorded a double-digit share in the second half of 2022 and 9.4% in the full year. Arm-based M-series models helped the company weather the slump cycle in both consumer and commercial devices in 2022.

Global PC Shipments by Vendor, Q4 2022

Source: Counterpoint Research

Windows on Arm a key focus in 2023

Despite near-term headwinds, we could still see global PC shipment volumes higher than pre-COVID levels in the coming years, thanks to the continuous work environment and lifestyle changes and delayed procurement from both consumer and commercial sectors after H1 2023. Consumer demand will likely see gradual rebound in H2 2023 followed by a slower warm-up in enterprise procurement. Soft demand in the first half will cause heavy pressure on global PC shipments. Therefore, we do not see annual shipment growth in 2023.

Eying Apple’s M-series success, Qualcomm’s Arm-based Oryon CPU will likely enter the market and heat up Windows-on-Arm momentum in 2023. We see mid-single-digit YoY shipment growth for Arm-based laptops compared to the global laptop market’s high-single-digit shipment decline in 2023.

Background
Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in products in the TMT (technology, media and telecom) industry. It services major technology and financial firms with a mix of monthly reports, customized projects and detailed analyses of the mobile and technology markets. Its key analysts are seasoned experts in the high-tech industry.

Global PC Shipments’ Double-digit Crash in Q3

Taipei, London, Hong Kong, Boston, Toronto, New Delhi, Beijing, Seoul – October 25, 2022

Global PC shipments fell 15.5% YoY in Q3 2022 to reach 71.1 million units recording another wave of huge YoY declines after the severe annual and sequential falls in Q2, according to Counterpoint Research data. The Q3 2022 decline was largely due to demand weakness across both consumer and commercial markets, which was mainly driven by global inflation. Despite components shortage issues being largely resolved, OEMs and ODMs are holding a relatively conservative view on Q4 2022 and first half of 2023.

The lull in PC demand continued in the quarter despite broad promotional activities from major OEMs, especially for consumer product lines. In addition, inventory digestion processes have been activated to deal with abnormally high levels as we enter the second half of the year. Although it is the season of peak consumer device sales, PC OEMs believe the destocking process will continue into 2023. Based on our conversations with supply chain members, especially with components suppliers, the largest inventory numbers were in Q3 2022 and will likely begin to decline in coming quarters but there is uncertainty within the supply chain on when shipment growth will restart.

Global PC Inventory Accumulation Since 2022

Source: Counterpoint Research

Lack of consumer demand in the back-to-school season, shrinking enterprise purchasing due to economic uncertainty and increasing promotional events all created a drag on Average Selling Price (ASP) growth momentum and also impacted PC market revenue.

Apple reported a counter-market 7% YoY shipment growth amid muted market momentum, thanks to its new product launch in late Q2 with shipments refilled after the China lockdowns in Q2 that interrupted ODM manufacturing schedules. Meanwhile, Asus reported a 9% YoY shipment decline in the quarter, reflecting a relatively resilient performance due to its enterprise focused strategy, in line with management’s target of outperforming shipment in 2022.

Lenovo booked a 16% YoY decline, largely in-line with the global PC market, consumer demand weakness was partly offset by enterprise spending. Its 23.7% market share remains flattish compared to last year, reflecting Lenovo’s strong position efforts to cope with a shaky market.

HP took an 18% share in Q3 with 12.7 million unit shipments. This is the second quarter of lower than 20% market share by HP since 2016, largely due to its higher consumer mix, which meant it exited Q3 with a 26.5% YoY decline.

Dell also reported more than a 20% YoY shipment decline with and 17% market share. Its 12 million units were a bit higher than Q3 2020, right before Dell began to benefit from working style changes post the initial waves of COVID.

Global PC Shipment by Vendor, Q3 2022

PC market unlikely to grow until H2 2023

Overall, global PC shipments in the second half of 2022 will still be comparatively higher than the level before Covid broke out. However, Chip maker AMD claimed that PC market weakness already caused negative impacts to its results and outlook; while the management of Taiwan OEMs Acer and Asus, both shared their views that the PC industry will not recover until H2 2023.

Looking into 2023, the sky is still covered by dark clouds. We are also adjusting our 2022 shipment forecast to a 13% YoY decline on soft PC demand. Among all PC product segments, we believe Arm-based PCs and gaming PCs are poised to weather the market downturn best, with the help from Apple’s M-series offerings as well as incremental R&D efforts from chip makers and the wider ecosystem.

Global PC Shipments in Q2 2022 See Largest YoY Decline Since Q2 2013

Taipei, London, Hong Kong, Boston, Toronto, New Delhi, Beijing, Seoul – July 27, 2022

Global PC shipments fell 11.1% YoY in Q2 2022 to reach 71.2 million units and record the largest YoY decline since Q2 2013, according to Counterpoint data. The Q2 2022 decline was largely due to lockdowns in China’s Shanghai and Kunshan, which hit the PC supply chain. However, as the OEMs’ inventory continues to accumulate amid lackluster consumer demand globally, we believe supply issues will likely get resolved in the second half of this year.

Diminishing YoY PC Shipment Growth Since Q1 2021

Source: Counterpoint Research

The macroeconomic turbulence continues to impact worldwide consumption momentum. Regional conflicts as well as global inflation have resulted in a downward sloping demand and consumer spending. Enterprises too are putting off their new purchases and device upgrades, though the orders from the commercial segment have remained more solid compared to the consumer segment. By region, the US and EU experienced relatively huge double-digit YoY declines in their Q2 2022 shipments, mainly dragged by Chromebook demand correction and soft consumer demand, as these regions had started seeing shipment growth ahead of other regions last year.

On the other hand, lockdowns in China during the quarter hit hard the laptop supply chain, as major laptop ODMs, including Quanta, Compal and Wistron, suffered manufacturing disruptions. The most harmful impacts were in April and May when we saw approximately 40% and 20% YoY declines respectively for key ODMs. Production lines resumed normal operations in the second half of May and were trying to clear order backlogs.

Major Laptop ODMs’ Inventory Levels (in $ mn)

Source: Counterpoint Research

Even though the top three brands showed a YoY decline in Q2 shipments, they all managed to keep their rankings unchanged. Lenovo maintained its leadership in the global PC market with a 24.4% share in Q2 2022. The brand’s total shipments fell 12.7% YoY to 17.4 million units mainly due to weak consumer demand, partly offset by moderate commercial orders.

HP suffered the most among the top brands in Q2 2022, reporting a 27% YoY decline in shipments from a high base last year. The sharp decline was mainly due to soft momentum for consumer products and Chromebooks. On the other hand, Dell had the smallest adjustment to its YoY shipment performance, thanks to a commercial/premium-focused product strategy.

Acer saw a 14.8% YoY shipment decline off a relatively high base in Q2 2021. Despite Chromebook weakness continuing to cap Acer’s growth momentum, its market exposure in entry- to mainstream-level laptops helped the brand take fourth place in global PC shipments in Q2 2022.

Apple reported a sharp decline of 20% YoY in its Q2 shipments largely due to supply chain disruption at Quanta’s manufacturing lines in China. The consumers too were waiting for a new MacBook series equipped with M2 chips. As a result, the company lost its fourth place in the global PC rankings for Q2 2022.

Asus’ Q2 shipments were down 7.7% YoY thanks to its commercial segment focus in recent quarters combined with consumer spending weakness entering 2022. The brand’s total shipments of 4.7 million made it share the fifth position with Apple in Q2 2022.

Global PC Shipments by Vendor, Q2 2022

More shipment adjustments seen

We had cut our 2022 shipment forecast in Q1 2022 to reflect the beginning of a weakening PC demand. But with persistent inflation pressure and enterprise spending saturating, we expect order adjustments to continue even as the average selling price plateaus on easing supply constraints. Therefore, we are revising our forecast for the 2022 PC shipments to a 9% YoY decline, with potential bright spots of new M2 MacBooks and desktop demand rebounding after the post-COVID-19 reopening of offices.

Global PC Shipments Down 4.3% YoY in Q1 2022; Component Shortages Likely to Ease in H2

Taipei, London, Hong Kong, Boston, Toronto, New Delhi, Beijing, Seoul – April 28, 2022

Global PC shipments fell 4.3% YoY in Q1 2022 to reach 78.7 million units, according to Counterpoint Research Global PC tracker. Entering 2022, the PC supply chain experienced easing component shortages and logistics issues compared to the second half of 2021. Order backlog from 2021 continued to contribute substantially to PC shipments in the beginning of 2022. This supports our previous view of another PC shipment plateau in 2022.

Our checks suggest the PC supply chain turned relatively conservative on shipment outlook in the middle of Q1 2022, largely dragged by global inflation and regional conflict, which brought uncertainties to PC demand and blurred the overall PC shipment momentum ahead. The overall PC shipments in 2022 are expected to be shy of our forecasts made at the end of 2021.

In addition, COVID-19 lockdowns in China, especially in Shanghai and Kunshan, where many laptop manufacturing lines are located, will cause shipment correction in April. Compared to OEMs, ODMs currently face more issues related to manufacturing resource allocation than component shortage impacts.

Global PC Shipments by Vendor, Q1 2022

Lenovo maintained its lead in the global PC market in Q1 2022 with a 23.1% share, which was down a little compared to 2021. The brand’s total shipments of 18.2 million units were down 9.5% YoY. Lenovo performed well during the pandemic largely due to its in-house manufacturing and operation control. This advantage will continue to help the company in times of demand uncertainty or component supply issues.

HP took a 20.2% share to capture the second spot. The company saw a 16% YoY decline in shipments largely due to Chromebook losing momentum and consumer demand weakness.

Dell, on the other hand, posted a slight increase in its shipments in the first quarter of 2022, riding on the commercial/premium product strategy tailwinds. Dell’s market share expanded by around 100 bps in Q1 2022.

Apple continued its success with the M1 MacBook series to see 8% YoY shipment growth in Q1 2022, which boosted its market share by 100 bps YoY. Asus saw 4% YoY shipment growth thanks to its gaming and commercial products expansion. Acer continued to struggle due to Chromebook sales losing momentum and ended the quarter with a 1% shipment decline. Asus and Acer both had ~7% market share in the quarter.

Component shortages likely to ease in H2 2022

In the past two years, the PC supply chain has spent much effort dealing with demand uncertainties caused by COVID-19 and component shortages. But since late 2021, demand-supply gaps have been narrowing, signaling an approaching end to supply tightness across the broader ecosystem. Among all PCs and laptops, the supply gap for the most important components such as power management ICs, Wi-Fi and I/O interface IC has narrowed. We have seen OEMs and ODMs continuing to accumulate component inventory to cope with uncertainties arising from COVID-19. Combined with the abovementioned consumer and Chromebook demand weakness, we believe component shortages are going to ease in H2 2022.

PC Component Shortage Outlook for 2022

India Tablet Shipments Grew 28% YoY in 2021

India’s tablet market shipments grew 28% YoY in 2021, according to Counterpoint Research’s India Tablet Shipment by Model Tracker. The COVID-19 pandemic has redefined the way we work and study by increasing the significance of digital tools. This paradigm shift has translated into the tablet emerging as one of the preferred computing devices for video communication, content consumption and creation, and running productivity applications. Furthermore, government tenders for procuring tablets have helped revive demand for this segment which was squeezed between large-size smartphones and PCs.

Lenovo dominated the tablet market in 2021 due to its focus on the lower middle segment (INR 10,000-INR 20,000), which constitutes more than half of the tablet market in India. Another key driver which helped Lenovo maintain its leadership was its wider distribution network in the country.

Samsung captured the second spot while Apple took the third position with 25% and 16% market shares respectively. The market is quite consolidated as the top three players have more than four-fifths of the total market in India.

We expect more players to enter this market to utilize the untapped potential of this segment. More established smartphone brands are entering this segment by leveraging their existing distribution channels, scale and marketing muscle. realme managed to capture a 4% share soon after entering this segment. Xiaomi is about to re-enter the segment by launching its first tablet in the INR 20,000-INR 30,000 price band. The device will compete against Samsung’s A-series and Lenovo’s M series, which are quite popular in the market. Other Chinese smartphone brands like OPPO, vivo and OnePlus are all geared up to enter this market soon. Because of this, we expect the share of Chinese brands to increase soon. They will focus on maintaining their market position as they have in the mobile handset market. The entry of new players will open more choices for consumers in different price bands.

Market Summary:

Lenovo dominated the tablet market in 2021 by capturing a 42% share. Its growth was driven by the strong performance of the M8 and M10 in the INR 10,000-INR 20,000 price band.
Samsung also did well in 2021 and took the second position with a 25% market share. It has a wide portfolio of tablets, from the mid-segment to premium ones, to cater to the diverse needs of customers.
Apple captured the third position in the tablet market with a 16% share. iPad drove most of the volume for the brand.
Lava managed to be in the top five brands with budget-friendly tablets in a price-sensitive market.
realme forayed into the market in September with its realme pad model, capturing a 4% share.
The INR 10,000-INR 20,000 price band is the most popular price band as it covers more than half of the total tablet market, with a major contribution from brands like Lenovo, Samsung and Lava.
Most of the tablets consumed in India are imported. But with the government’s stance on ‘Make in India’, the share of domestic manufacturing will increase in the coming period from its current share of 20%. This will enable competitive pricing in the market and make the device more affordable for the consumer.

We expect the Indian tablet market to reach around 5 million units in 2022 as the market is still underpenetrated. The entry of smartphone brands will increase product options for the Indian consumer at different price points. The increase in domestic manufacturing will also provide the necessary boost to this segment.

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Coverage: PCs and Tablets

Tablet Specs Now Favoring Productivity Over Portability

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