Took longer than we expected
The tablet is about to follow its number one promoter Steve Jobs into his unmarked grave, according to beancounters at IDC.
IDC said that after a brief rise after the pandemic, global tablet shipments have returned to life support levels. In Q1 2023 only 30.7 million units were sold.
Before Covid, tablet sales were 31.6 million in Q1 2018 and 30.1 million in Q1 2019, and were clearly on their way out. Covid saw smartphone sales drop with a small rise in tablets — presumably because people were not leaving their homes and wanted content they could see. Now, after a two-year reprieve Apple and Samsung will be considering if they have a role on the catelogue anymore.
