Apple Continues to Dominate Tablet Market With an Estimated 19.2 Million Shipments in Q4 2020

[MacRumors]

Apple continues to hold a dominant position in the tablet market thanks to continued iPad sales growth throughout 2020, according to new data shared today by Canalys.

Apple shipped an estimated 19.2 million iPads during the fourth quarter of 2020 (which corresponds to Apple's first fiscal quarter of 2021), marking a 40 percent increase over the estimated 13.7 million tablets that it shipped in the fourth quarter of 2019.

When it comes to market share, Apple comes in at 36 percent, close to double the market share of its next closest competitor, Samsung. Samsung has a 19 percent market share and shipped an estimated 9.9 million tablets during the holiday quarter.

Amazon shipped an estimated 6.5 million tablets for 12 percent market share, while Lenovo shipped 5.6 million and Huawei shipped 3.5 million.

Apple furthered its dominance in the tablet market, with Q4 shipments growing 40% to 19.2 million, its best iPad performance since Q4 2014. Samsung maintained second place in the market with 9.9 million tablets shipped, up 41% from Q4 2019. Amazon climbed to third place on the back of strong holiday season demand, shipping 6.5 million tablets. Lenovo was the fastest growing vendor in Q4, increasing sell-in volume by 125% to reach 5.6 million units. Huawei was the only vendor in the top 5 to see shipments decline year-on-year.

For all of 2020, Apple shipped an estimated 58.8 million tablets, 24 percent more than it shipped across 2019. Samsung shipped an estimated 31 million, followed by Huawei at 16.3 million and Amazon at 15.9 million.

Canalys also shared estimates for combined PC, tablet, and Chromebooks in the fourth quarter of 2020, and using this metric, Apple was the number two worldwide vendor with 26.4 million device shipments, up 42 percent from combined Mac and iPad shipments in 2019.

When factoring in tablets and PCs, Lenovo was the number one worldwide vendor with 28.8 million units shipped. HP came in third with 19.3 million, Dell was fourth with 15.9 million, and Samsung came in fifth with 11.5 million units shipped.

Across all of 2020, Apple shipped an estimated 81.4 million iPads and Macs, coming in second to Lenovo with 87 million units shipped.

Apple yesterday shared its earnings results for the holiday quarter, confirming continued strong Mac and iPad sales. Apple does not break down unit sales for its devices anymore, but Apple set a new all-time holiday quarter revenue record for the Mac category with revenue hitting $8.7 billion, up from $7.2 billion in the year-ago quarter.

Apple's iPad category earned $8.4 billion, up from $6 billion in the year-ago quarter, which marks growth of 41 percent year over year.

Going forward, Mac and iPad sales are likely to remain strong as people continue to work and learn from home. Apple has multiple Mac refreshes in the works, and this year, we're expecting to see overhauled iMacs and MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon chips.

There are also new iPad Pro, iPad mini, and iPad refreshes in the works that could further drive sales.

Article Link: Apple Continues to Dominate Tablet Market With an Estimated 19.2 Million Shipments in Q4 2020

 

[Cosmosent]

IMO, the 2020 iPad Air 4 is 2nd-Highest Value product that AAPL currently offers.

With the 2019 iPhone 11 being the Highest Value (i.e., #1).

This year's 12 Pro is probably @ #3.

If/when AAPL offers a Premium MacBook Air (with a new design) later this year, it will cut into iPad sales, perhaps significantly.

 

[BWhaler]

Well earned.

The iPad hardware is lightyears ahead of everything else in the market, and hopefully Apple seriously invests in iPad OS and 1st part apps to truly make the iPad the future of computing.

 

[CarlJ]

The iPad is great in general, and their current lineup is fabulous, but also this last almost-year, they’ve been popular for learning from home. I wonder how much that affected the numbers (and if it was across the board for all tablets or if iPads - or others - saw particular boosts). I wonder if an eventual return to in-person classes (and offices) will see a decline in tablet sales, or if they’ve caught the public interest more.

My nieces got iPads a year or two ago, mostly for use on long trips (they don’t get a lot of screen time otherwise), but they turned out to be perfect for classes (especially with a keyboard added for the older one). And these days, when I’m not in front of my work MBP, I’m more likely to pick up my 3rd Gen iPad than open my MBP, for catching up on the world (like now).

 

[bousozoku]

I would think that Amazon would find a way to make their tablets available in every country possible, taking the second position behind Apple.

 

[dannyyankou]

The iPad Air 4th gen is one of my favorite new Apple products in years. Especially paired with the magic keyboard.

 

[entropys]

It is my main home machine. iPadOS constraints still hold it back though. All Apple really needs to do is properly implement a file management system, multitasking, print services, multiuser accounts and tweak cut and paste, and it is pretty close.
land a second port

 

[ThunderSkunk]

iirc, iPad mini was the leader in sales while they were keeping it up to date alongside the top of the ipad line. Apparently they wanted to change that, left it to languish through several generations of refreshes, and never even bothered to mention its existence in the iPad segment of at least one of the last keynotes. I'm very curious to see if they do in fact finally update it, or commit fully to driving all ipad sales to larger models with higher margins, even if it means sacrificing the users devoted to the mini's form factor.

 

[mannyvel]

It's surprising how crappy Android tablets are. Even Amazon's tablets are, well, bad. Nobody on the android side cares about tablets, and it shows.

 

[rulymammoth]

It's surprising how crappy Android tablets are. Even Amazon's tablets are, well, bad. Nobody on the android side cares about tablets, and it shows.

I agree. I can’t believe people buy Amazon tablets. The hardware is beyond abysmal.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Was there really any doubt? Apple is king in this area and for good reason.

 

[LeeW]

If I was to get rid of all but one Apple device the one I would keep is the iPad, it's the one for me that is as perfect and fit for purpose as anything else they make.

 

[bobenhaus]

33.6M are all Android based tablets. just saying.

 

[mi7chy]

Mine collects dust. It's obsolete like stand-alone GPS and MP3 players.

 

[TallGuyGT]

I’m surprised Samsung sold that many tablets. Amazon makes sense as a very low cost option, and Lenovo to business.

 

[Arsenikdote]

It's surprising how crappy Android tablets are. Even Amazon's tablets are, well, bad. Nobody on the android side cares about tablets, and it shows.

I mean 60% of sales were still for non-Apple tablets. I wouldn't say that no one cares. I will say that in just my personal experience, if someone is serious about a tablet, they always get an iPad. If it is a "cheap" purchase for off hand use, then my circle of people I know often go for a non-Apple device. Example is a friend's daughter getting a device for college, it was an iPad. My other friend getting his 7yr old a tablet, it was an Android.

 

[44267547]

I’m surprised Samsung sold that many tablets. Amazon makes sense as a very low cost option, and Lenovo to business.

Samsung’s tablets are priced lower for the general consumer, but generally struggle with performance , where even the iPad Air 2 is still sufficiently performing on iOS 14 after seven years since its release. That says a lot about the iPad longevity and support.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Mine collects dust. It's obsolete like stand-alone GPS and MP3 players.

Did you fall down recently and bump your head? Obsolete? Maybe, for you it is. For the rest of the Apple lovers, I don't think so.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I’m surprised Samsung sold that many tablets. Amazon makes sense as a very low cost option, and Lenovo to business.

I would rather be stuck on a desert island with a beautiful woman who was into me, than ever use a Lenovo tablet again. They are bloated junk.

 

[ani4ani]

It's surprising how crappy Android tablets are. Even Amazon's tablets are, well, bad. Nobody on the android side cares about tablets, and it shows.

If that was the case, why are 70% of tablets sold not made by Apple?

It seems several manufacturers have better annual growth than Apple?

I concede however, the iPad offers the best overall package in the tablet space.

 

[mi7chy]

Obsolete? Maybe, for you it is. For the rest of the Apple lovers, I don't think so.

I also gave one to grandpa and he uses it as a denture tray. He likes his Android tablet better since unlike the iPad he can place often used icons anywhere on the home screen instead of throw everything at the wall left to right approach with iPadOS, is uninterrupted with YouTube Vanced, doesn't like finger gymnastics gestures, etc.

For me, can't even put a basic active SSH session in the background without it dying that a $10 Raspberry Pi Zero W can do. It's not for tech savvy people either.

 

[ani4ani]

Samsung’s tablets are priced lower for the general consumer, but generally struggle with performance , where even the iPad Air 2 is still sufficiently performing on iOS 14 after seven years since its release. That says a lot about the iPad longevity and support.

Flagship Samsung tablets are just as good as the IPad, with great screens, more storage, (including SD), more Ram and fast processors. I have had an S6 and a S5e, both of which were more than a match quality of hardware wise. I prefer the iPad because I used to use an iPhone and everything was familiar. I moved on phone wise, but prefer the iPad.

 

[ikramerica]

Remember when it was talked about that the iPad was a failing product line that Apple should abandon? I do...

 

[Ken88]

“ taxes, death and iPad best selling tablet “—Benjamin Franklin..o.k the 3rd one was a throw-in..you get my point. Long live the Apple??

P.S, personally I own ALL 4 iPad model?

 

[Shirasaki]

Hardly a surprise, given that both Android and Windows tablet manufacturers doesn’t even bother trying.