(Yicai Global) Dec. 17 -- China's tablet computer market is expected to slow its pace of widening next year amid tightening public spending, according to a data consultancy.

Shipments should rise by 7.1 percent to more than 30.6 million devices in 2022 from 2021 due to reduced government procurement, shifting focus onto consumer demand, IDC wrote in a report released today.

The market is turning calmer after wild growth caused by rising demand in the sectors of entertainment, education, and office equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, the number of shipments is expected to be 28.6 million units, or an increase of 22.4 percent from last year, the highest annual jump since 2013, the consultancy added.

The report shared some hardware trends. One of those is large displays, spanning from 10.95 inches to 11.5 inches. Moreover, new types of display screens are becoming increasingly popular, as mini-light-emitting diode displays should have a 5-percent market share and organic light-emitting diode ones an 8-percent one.

The market is changing its composition. The growth of commercial demand should slow to 2.5 percent or 4.6 million tablets in 2022 from 2021. Students will order 3.6 million tablets, an increase of 4.1 percent, as the country has sought to reduce pupils' burdens of excessive homework and after-school tutoring.

Fifth-generation wireless-enabled tablets will make up 4.5 percent of all shipments in 2022, less than expected as the share was earlier predicted to be 11.1 percent. People seem to be less inclined to upgrade their smartphones to 5G handsets and their 5G tablet demand is also lower than predicted, IDC added.

Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi