According to research firm IDC, the Philippine tablet market almost doubled in 2021Q2 compared to last year, growing by 97.9% year-on-year (YoY) and 15.7% QoQ in 2021Q2.
“Tablet shipments continued to be driven by the education sector due to large tenders from several local government units (LGUs) to provide tablets for public school students in preparation for the school year. Face-to-face schooling remained suspended, compelling some schools to shift to online learning,” said Angela Jenny Medez, client devices market analyst at IDC Philippines.
“The surge in shipments during the second half of 2020 as shown in the chart is due to the huge tenders from the bigger LGUs when the 2020-2021 school year began in September of last year”, she added.
Tablets remain the device of choice among LGUs due to it being a cheaper alternative over laptops and desktops as well as the ability of educational platforms, apps and productivity tools to run on tablets.
Some LGUs with access to Internet connections have switched from self-learning modules (SLMs) or printed learning modality to an online/blended learning approach, as it is more cost-effective in comparison to the printout of modules.
It also reduces the burden on both parents and teachers who would otherwise need to personally deliver and/or pick-up the modules. However, there have also been some schools that gone the other way around due to connectivity issues.
“The tablet market’s performance for the rest of the year will still be driven mainly by the education segment due to procurements from other LGUs, as face-to-face classes have remained suspended until further notice due to the resurgence of Covid-19 cases. However, we do not expect the same momentum compared to the previous year, as some local government units prioritize the roll-out of vaccinations. New procurements will be from other cities outside of Metro Manila,” Medez added.