Tablet shipments up 16% in Q2 of 2015: CMR

On a sequential basis, shipments up 4.2%; new launches help

Tablet shipments in India grew 16.4% to 1.07 million units in the April-June 2015 quarter, driven by launch of new models by local vendors, research firm Cybermedia Research said today.

The quarter saw 1,072,369 units being shipped, up 16.4% from 9,21,414 units in the year-ago period, CMR said in a statement.

On a sequential basis, shipments rose 4.2% from 1,029,632 units in January-March of 2015, it added.

The steady increase was due to the launch of new models by local vendors and Xiaomi contributing significantly to unit shipments for the first time in the current quarter, it said.

"But a word of caution is necessary -- the current quarter's numbers may be a sign of momentary relief. Industry leaders must not give up the quest to design and bring to market more innovative models to keep this product segment alive and growing in the long term," CMR Telecoms Practice Lead Analyst Faisal Kawoosa said.

Sachin Mehta, analyst (Telecom Devices) at CMR, said time now appears to be ripe for China-based OEMs to disrupt the tablet market.

"After smartphones, I expect these players will now focus on the tablet category and bring in quality at affordable price points for the discerning user," he added.

"As in the smartphones category, the tablet market has the potential for an exciting battle if Chinese brands can introduce function-rich models and establish top-of-mind presence through 'smart' marketing tactics."

Mehta added that this calibrated blend of innovation and aggression promises to be exciting as it can benefit consumers as well as ensure sustained industry growth.