Tablet sales increased in Russia for the first time in three years

At the end of 2023, tablet sales in Russia increased for the first time in three years – by 32% in units and by 30% in money. In unit sales, Chinese brands took first place, and the largest increase in money was observed in the segment of economical devices costing up to 10 thousand rubles. Market participants attribute the change in trend to an increase in the functionality of tablets, an improvement in the purchasing power of citizens and an increase in prices for related categories of electronics, such as laptops.

At the end of 2023, 2.4 million tablets were sold in Russia for a total amount of 49.8 billion rubles, which is 32% more in units and 30% in money than in 2022. This follows from MTS data, which Kommersant has reviewed. A company representative emphasizes that positive year-on-year dynamics in the segment have been observed for the first time since 2020. The trend is confirmed by M.Video-Eldorado: according to the company, 2.5 million devices were sold in the country during the year, which is “almost a third more than in 2022.”

Huawei took first place in the number of devices sold (16%), overtaking the 2022 leader Samsung (13%) – the latter was in second place in 2023. Xiaomi closes the top three at the end of the year with a share of 11%. In terms of money, Apple remained the leader, occupying 28% of the market, Samsung in second place with 17%, and Huawei in third place with 15%.

MTS emphasizes that in 2023 they observed an increase in tablet sales in all price categories, except for devices over 80 thousand rubles: “The largest increase was for tablets up to 10 thousand rubles, sales of which increased by 48% in units.” M.Video-Eldorado added that they strengthened the positions of Realme and Xiaomi along with other Chinese brands. The majority of sales were from devices with screens larger than 10 inches. About 45% of devices sold do not have an LTE module, that is, they connect to the Internet only via Wi-Fi. “Relative to 2022, consumer activity has recovered, choice and inventory have expanded, and the influence of Chinese companies has increased,” notes M.Video-Eldorado.

PR Director of Inventive Retail Group Lyudmila Semushina confirms the growing demand for tablets: “People choose these devices to replace laptops, since modern tablets largely repeat their functionality, or as an additional gadget that is more convenient, for example, when traveling. In 2023, demand returned to pre-pandemic levels and continues to grow.” MTS agrees that the main factor in the growth of demand for tablets was the increase in the functionality of the devices: in terms of their characteristics, they began to approach laptops, which “allows them to fully replace the latter in study or work.”

Business analyst at the Fplus IT holding Artur Makhlayuk clarifies that tablets with “powerful technical characteristics” were most often bought for children for school as an alternative to laptops. The head of the unified procurement department of Merlion and Citylink, Oleg Fomenko, adds that “some tablet owners use them as an auxiliary tool for solving work tasks using a stylus and keyboard.”

MTS notes that in 2023, demand for tablets increased, including due to cost – the average price of devices decreased by 1%, to 20.4 thousand rubles. year on year, while laptops, on the contrary, grew. In December, Vedomosti, citing retailers, reported that the average price of laptops increased year-on-year by 10%. The most significant increases in price were devices from Apple (by 40%), MSI (by 30%) and Huawei (by 20%).

“At the same time, good sales in Russia do not mean following a global trend. On the contrary, interest in tablets on a global scale is gradually fading, and the market for these devices is shrinking. They are being bought less and less due to growing competition from smartphones with large screens,” emphasizes Mr. Makhlayuk. TelecomDaily CEO Denis Kuskov agrees with him. However, he believes that “the market is still in a state of uncertainty and is unlikely to grow much in 2024.”

Alexey Zhabin