Shipments of tablets in Vietnam last year bucked the global downward trend and increased 17 per cent to nearly 1.5 million units, its fourth consecutive year of growth.

Despite the double-digit volume increase, the value of the tablets market shrank for the first time, falling 13 per cent to $324 million as the average tablet price dropped 25 per cent to $239, according to GfK.

The increasingly saturated market has reduced the growth rate from the triple-digit level in the past three years to a still healthy double-digit level last year, said Van Tran Khoa, GfK’s MD in Vietnam.

With more low-priced tablets hitting the market, the $200-and-below segment saw its share surge by 16 points to 55 per cent.

The number of tablet vendors jumped from 10 in 2011 to 63 offering 396 models last year.

Android expanded its market share in Vietnam to 82 per cent from 73 per cent in 2014, GfK said.

“We expect Vietnam’s media tablets market to continue its positive performance in the near future, although at a diminishing growth rate of less than double digit,” Khoa said.