(Yicai Global) May 12 -- Chinese shipments of tablet computers jumped 8.1 percent in the first quarter of the year, growing despite year-on-year declines in the global market for three straight quarters, according to a new report from International Data Corporation.

China shipped 6.76 million tablets in the three months ended March 31, IDC said in the report published today. Global shipments fell 2.1 percent to 39.13 million.

Covid-19 outbreaks in China led to a surge in demand for tablets as people work and study from home, the report said. Shipments to consumers rose 17 percent from a year ago to 6.21 million units, while those to commercial enterprises slumped 42 percent to 540,000.

Shanghai and surrounding areas, at the center of the country’s coronavirus resurgence, are not major areas for tablet production and assembly, resulting in little impact on supplies, said Guo Tianxiang, a senior analyst at IDC China.

The market in first-tier cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, is reaching saturation point with almost 80 percent ownership per family, so the market’s performance is relatively stable, the report noted.

Shandong, Jiangsu, Hebei and northeastern provinces have become the main demand drivers, with non-first-tier cities still having more space to grow.

The average price of a tablet jumped to CNY3,139 (USD462) in the first quarter from CNY2,810 (USD414) in the fourth quarter of last year, as brands launched new models. But as competition increases, prices are expected to fall, with products under CNY2,000 the focus in the second half, the report said.

The first quarter is generally the table market’s offseason, but due to Covid-19 this year, the surge in demand in February and March may sap future demand. So the report cautioned on the need to stay vigilant about the Chinese market.

Editor: Peter Thomas