The EMEA tablet market is down by -11.7% Y-o-Y in Q2 2019, IDC reports, with shipments reaching 9.6 million units, even if detachable/hybrid devices represent a bright spot with shipments growing by 11.8% Y-o-Y following 2 years of consecutive quarterly declines.
"The expectation of a detachable rebound in the market was finally realized in Q2 and on a bigger scale than anticipated," the analyst says. "This was mainly driven by shipment pull-in of the freshly released iPad Air, a budget alternative to the iPad Pro and a contender to the Surface Go in the midrange tablet market with keyboard capabilities that have the potential to become a back-to-school winner."
W. Europe sees a tablet market decline of 6.6% Y-o-Y in Q2 2019, while CEMA shipments are down by -18.7% Y-o-Y. IDC points out another factor affecting the tablet market in smartphones, since the larger screen sizes of such devices have made 7- and 8-inch tablets less relevant.
Apple continues to lead in EMEA tablets, thanks to the resurrection of the mini and a "bouyant" detachable quarter. Samsung follows with declines, even as it continues to push higher-end Android tablets across the region, highlighting a greater focus on profitability. In 3rd place is Huawei, with an intensifying US ban leaving a negative impact on the brand, particularly in W. Europe. However the company does gain leadership in CEMA.
Lenovo posts a sharp -13.2% Y-o-Y decline as it continues to shift from tablets, while an update on the affordable Fire tablet range ahead of Prime Day brings a boost in Q2 2019 shipments for 5th placing Amazon.
Looking to the near future, IDC predicts a -7.4% Y-o-Y decline in EMEA tablet shipments, before a -9.9% decline for overall 2019. Detachables and the commercial segment should partially offset the decline in slate tablets. Enterprise tablet adoption is set to grow from 2020, as an increasingly mobile workforce and Windows 10 adoption push the expansion of ultraportable systems. As such, enterprise tablets are to grow at a CAGR of 4.7% during the 2019-2023 forecast period.
Go IDC EMEA Personal Computing Device Quarterly Tracker (Tablet), Q2 2019
