Global tablet shipments are expected to plunge by 30% sequentially to 52.15 million units in the first quarter of 2015, according to Digitimes Research.
Affected by the growing popularity of large-size smartphones, shipments of iPad devices will reach only 13.1 million units in first-quarter 2015, decreasing 40% sequentially, Digitimes Research estimated.
Shipments from white-box tablet makers are likely to sink 26.6% sequentially to 18.5 million units in the first quarter as most makers are phasing out from the low-end segment, while shipments of new Windows-based tablets are still limited.
Samsung will turn more conservative about the prospects of tablets in the first quarter, expecting to roll out a limited number of modified versions of its entry-level to mid-range models for the quarter. However,Lenovo will exert more efforts to ramp up its shipments in order to dress up its performance for the last quarter of its fiscal year (2014/2015).
The business outlook for Taiwan-based tablet ODMs is also not optimistic in the first quarter, with combined shipments of all ODMs to drop below 20 million units in the quarter. However, Compal will see its shipments of iPad mini begin to increase in the quarter, as Pegatron will discontinue the production of iPad mini.