At the end of last year, data from Canalys, Gartner and IDC indicated that PC shipments dropped significantly, which shows how economic uncertainty affects market stability. Last year, PCs and tablets shipped 434.5 million units, down 13% from 2021’s nearly half a billion orders.
Despite slowing demand for laptops and monitors, tablets continued to experience a slight but steady increase in shipments in the fourth quarter. According to Canalys, in the fourth quarter of 2022, tablet shipments increased by 1%, for an annual total of 42.3 million units. Overall tablet sales in 2022 were down 5% compared to 2021, with a total of 150.8 million tablets shipped.
According to Himani Mukka, an analyst at Canalys, consumers continue to buy tablets when the products represent “attractive innovation in the space”. Mukka said the sharp price cuts prompted consumers to buy tablets during the last holiday season.
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Apple maintains its number one position in the tablet market, with sales of 19 million units and a 46 percent market share. As Mukka said, Apple’s latest 10th generation iPad offered consumers a new design and improved performance, making the device more likely to be purchased.
Similarly, Amazon shipped 3.5 million units in Q4 of 2022, mainly due to the Prime Day sale and Black Friday massive discounts on Fire tablets.
In contrast, PCs suffered a severe decline in shipments and purchases, as total shipments in 2022 are nearly 50% lower than in 2021. Ishan Dutt, senior analyst at Canalys, attributed the “back to normal” initiatives to the drop in PC shipments.
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Specifically, as people returned to the office, high school, and college, demand for PCs like Chromebooks fell for the sixth year in a row. In 2022, 17.7 million Chromebooks were shipped, down 48% from the previous year.
“Significant growth is only possible by 2024 as devices purchased during the peak of the pandemic near the end of their lifespan,” Dutt said. “There will also be opportunities to deliver higher-value products as students and teachers have developed stronger expectations for such frequently used devices.”
