Digitimes Research expects global tablet shipments to reach 68.51 million units in the third quarter, up 23.8% sequentially and 9.1% on year, and non-Apple tablet vendors' shipments, which suffered from weaker-than-expected performance during the second quarter, are expected to see a recovery in the quarter.
Apple's tablet shipments are expected to benefit from inventory preparations for the second-generation iPad Air in the third quarter, while white-box players' shipments are expected to maintain at a similar level compared to the previous year.
In the fourth quarter, although the tablet market will benefit from Android L, a significant upgrade to the Android platform, demand for large-size inexpensive Windows-based models, and stable growth of tablet with phone-functions in emerging markets, the market is still unlikely to avoid reaching saturation. Digitimes Research expects the global tablet market to achieve an on-year growth of only 0.5% in the fourth quarter.
Although iPads are expected to enjoy a shipment recovery in the third quarter, volumes in the fourth quarter will decline over 10% compared to the same period a year ago because Apple is lacking a new 7.85-inch iPad product, demand from mature markets is dropping, and new iPhones will replace some iPad demand.
Samsung Electronics' third-quarter shipments will rebound slightly and the company is expected to expand its 3G service bundling plans and offer price cuts in the fourth quarter to boost sales.
Lenovo and Asustek Computer will both push inexpensive tablets with phone-functions and entry-level Windows 2-in-1 devices in the second half. Vendors that have their own platforms such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google are expected to see their shipments continue to decline.
Taiwan-based tablet vendors' combined share in the global market will stop sliding in the second half.
As for Taiwan-based makers, Foxconn is expected to enjoy strong shipment growth in the second half because of orders for the second-generation iPad Air and Xiaomi's tablets. Compal Electronics will also surpass Quanta with orders from Amazon in the fourth quarter.
