The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic furthered the decline of the worldwide tablet market as global shipments fell to 24.6 million units, down 18.1% year-over-year during the first quarter of 2020 (1Q20), according to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker.
Detachables continued to grow and gain market share with year-over-year growth of 56.8%, mainly driven by iPadOS devices, while slate tablets saw shipments decline 36.4% compared to the first quarter of 2019, according to the research group.
IDC says Apple continued to be the top vendor although the large number of shipments throughout 2019 and the closure of factories in the first quarter (due to COVID-19) led the company produce fewer units than expected, leading to a decline of 30.4% with sales of 6.9 million in quarter one of 2020. However, the company still leads in the detachable market as every iPad with the exception of the mini now offers a detachable keyboard.
“This positions Apple’s tablet lineup as one that can cater towards productivity as much as entertainment,” says IDC.
