Tablet Nation: 800,000+ sold in Malaysia in 2012

  • 823,000 units bought last year, 87% or 384,000 units more than 2011, worth US$415mil in sales
  • In terms of OS, Android is the reigning champ, garnering 70% of total volume sales in Malaysia

Tablet Nation: 800,000+ sold in Malaysia in 2012THE uptrend in tablet adoption saw around 823,000 units of the gadget being snapped up by consumers in Malaysia in 2012, reflecting a whopping growth of 87% or 384,000 units more compared to 2011.
 
According to the latest data from GfK Malaysia, the total worth of the tablet industry in the country during the 12 months reached US$415 million.
 
The initial year which marked the launch of the first tablet in Malaysia saw new adopters and avid techies buying some 439,000 tablets which averaged at US$570, GfK Malaysia said in a statement. Demand has continued to escalate, hitting a high of over 81,200 tablets sold in the month of October 2012 alone.
 
“The key reasons for this boom in Malaysia and elsewhere in the region is the widening range of tablets selling at lowering prices, which makes the smart device increasingly affordable to consumers,” said Selinna Chin, GfK Malaysia managing director.
 
“The Government has also played an instrumental role in the rise of tablets as they continue to step up efforts to improve Internet infrastructure, connectivity and speed in the country,” she added.
 
GfK retail audit findings showed that some 36 models of tablets by 18 key brands were available in the market in 2011. The number of brands in the market expanded to 35 in 2012, with an array of 84 models to choose from.
 
In terms of operating systems, Android is the reigning operating system with nearly 70% of total volume sales in Malaysia.
 
Tablet Nation: 800,000+ sold in Malaysia in 2012“This tablet boom has attracted many new international and smaller players currently offering tablets with varying features at a wide range of prices ranging from the low of US$82, to as high as US$744,” said Chin (pic).
 
“Last year’s average price of US$505 reflects a significant 10% price erosion from the time when tablets were initially launched in Malaysia around the last quarter of 2010, and the intensifying competition for the consumer dollar has and will keep on driving down prices, inevitably causing continued erosion of tablet prices in 2013.”
 
The results of a separate GfK survey conducted last December presents a positive outlook for tablets with one in three (33%) respondents indicating the intention to purchase a tablet in the first quarter of 2013.
 
“The near future looks bright for this popular device and we can anticipate annual sales of tablets to continue to grow and exceed the results of 2012 to achieve around 18% in total market value,” said Chin.
 
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