In the final three months of 2021, tablet shipments slid 11.9 percent year over year to 46 million. According to IDC, it’s the second market decline since the pandemic started in 2020.
Thing were even worse for Chromebooks as shipments in the fourth quarter of 2021 were down 63.6 percent compared to the same period in 2020, totaling just 4.8 million units. Yet despite the poor holiday showing, Chromebook shipments were up 13.5 percent for the full calendar year compared to 2020. Jitesh Ubrani, a research manager with IDC’s Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers, said much of the initial demand for Chromebooks has been satiated in primary markets, leading to a slowdown in overall shipments. Demand in emerging markets has continued, but component shortages have forced some vendors to prioritize Windows machines because they sell for more, which is further suppressing Chromebook shipments. Image credit: Daniel Korpai, Nathan Dumlao
