Global notebook shipments, excluding detachable models, surged over 10% sequentially to hit a fresh high of 60 million units in fourth-quarter 2020, mainly driven by robust demand for remote work and study amid the worsening pandemic woes, year-end e-commerce promotion campaigns and government subsidies to consumers.
Taiwan's third-quarter 2020 notebook shipments grew 4.3% sequentially and picked up 31.3% on year to arrive at 44.46 million units, a new high since the second quarter of 2012.
According to Digitimes Research's observations, 2020 global tablet shipments will show flat growth from the 2019 level as the COVID-19 pandemic spurs explosive stay-at-home demand. With unfilled demand for tablets gradually satisfied and a high comparison base in 2020, tablet shipments in 2021 will decelerate and drop 10.5% on year.
Notebook shipments are expected to grow over 20% on year in 2020 thanks to demand from stay-at-home activities in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Second-quarter 2020 global tablet shipments amounted to 39.65 million units, surging 60.5% from a quarter ago and 21.4% from a year ago, outperforming expectation.
Global tablet shipments are forecast to climb 45.5% sequentially and 9.9% on year in the second quarter of 2020 thanks to a recovery in the related supply chain's capacity in China and educational tablet orders deferred from the first quarter.
Global notebook shipments in the first quarter of 2020 dropped 27.6% on quarter and 10.9% on year. The yearly decline was the worst for the Taiwan's notebook industry since first-quarter 2016.
The coronavirus outbreak has disrupted production and weakened consumer confidence, with all ICT sectors bracing for major declines in shipments. Digitimes Research has conducted analyses on three mobile device sectors, namely notebooks, smartphones and tablets in the wake of the outbreak. The Special Report offers the latest updates about production statuses and shipments outlook for 2020 for each of the three sectors.
