Of all the different consumer tech divisions, we least expected to see the tablet market grow at a time of grave global economic suffering and instability. That's because tablet sales have been on the decline around the world for almost as long as this writer can remember, and it was certainly hard to anticipate that trend could be suddenly reversed as non-essential spending took a big hit for many people across key markets like the US due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The data analytics branch of the Taiwan-based newspaper is avoiding the kind of specific projections it put together more than three months ago, simply highlighting some of the reasons why global tablet shipments are expected to grow at a rarely seen pace for the second quarter in a row.
These include "sufficient production capacities", "rush orders" deferred from the year's second quarter, and "re-stocking demand from channel operators", all of which strongly suggest COVID-19 is no longer a problem, at least as far as manufacturers and retailers are concerned.
In terms of what consumers might be seeking in these troubled times, you shouldn't be surprised to hear large models measuring at least 10 inches in screen diagonal are considerably outselling compact 7 and 8-inchers, although Amazon is tipped to single-handedly boost the latter segment during Q3 "thanks to seasonal effects."
In other words, the e-commerce giant's in-house Fire slates are likely to prove significantly more popular in the three months ending September than the April - June timeframe, which could be enough to lift the company ahead of Huawei on the worldwide vendor podium.
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Naturally, Apple and Samsung are unlikely to have their gold and silver medal positions threatened, given the latter company is expected to release the high-end Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ in the very near future, while iPads remain pretty much impossible to beat.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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