Chromebook, Tablet Shipments Fall For the First Time Since Start of Pandemic: IDC

Global shipments of Chromebooks and tablets recorded their first decline since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, market analyst IDC highlighted in their latest report. According to preliminary data by the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker, Chromebook global shipments declined 29.8 percent year-over-year (YoY) in the third quarter of 2021 (3Q21) with volumes dropping to 6.5 million units. Tablet shipments recorded a 9.4 percent year-over-year decline falling to 42.3 million units.

Lenovo shipped most Chromebook units in Q321 to capture a share of 23 percent. Acer stands second in position with a market share of 20 percent, followed by Dell (18 percent), HP (17 percent), and Samsung (8.9 percent). In the tablets market, Apple’s iPads continue to dominate and the Cupertino company secured a share of 34.6 percent. Samsung and Amazon took the second and third spots with 17.7 percent share and 11.1 percent share. Lenovo captured 10.1 percent in the tablets market, followed by Huawei with a 5.4 percent share. Overall, over 42.3 million units of tablets were shipped globally in the last quarter that ended on September 30.

IDC notes factors contributing to the fall in Chromebooks and tablets include easing COVID-19 restrictions across many countries, therefore leading an “increased spending in other categories.” The decline also stems from the comparison to a strong third quarter in 2020 when consumer device shipments peaked. On the other hand, tablets’ sales grew last year due to many factors, including their versatility, component shortages on the PC side, and a comparatively lower selling price. Despite the slowdown in demand, commercial use of tablets in verticals such as logistics, healthcare, and banking is expected to persist as the pandemic has changed the way many of these businesses conduct day-to-day operations. In other words, a YoY comparison may not paint the complete picture. Speaking more on the development, Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC’s Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers said, “Though reduced demand is largely to blame to for the declines in these categories, limited supply has also been a factor.”

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