Worldwide Tablet Market Declines 7%, iPad Market Share Falls Below 25% [Chart]

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Posted July 29, 2015 at 2:57pm by iClarified

The worldwide tablet market declined -7% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2015 with shipments totaling 44.7 million units, according to IDC. The market also declined -3.9% compared to the first quarter of 2015.

"Beyond the decline, we're seeing a profound shift in the vendor landscape as the top two vendors, Apple and Samsung, lose share in the overall market," said Jean Philippe Bouchard, IDC Research Director for Tablets. "In the first quarter of the year, Apple and Samsung accounted for 45% of the market and this quarter, with the growth of vendors like LG, Huawei, and E FUN, their combined share dropped to 41%. Each of the growing vendors managed to address available pockets of growth in the market; connected tablets for LG and Huawei, larger tablets and 2-in-1s in the right price bands for E FUN. This trend is also something we see on a wider scale with the top 5 vendors accounting for 54% of the market, down from 58% last quarter. It is worth mentioning that Huawei enters the top 5 ranking for the first time, while E FUN has re-entered the top 10 after more than a year, further indicating that the vendor landscape is indeed evolving."

Apple maintained its lead in the market with shipments of 10.9 million iPads; however, it's market share dropped from 27.7% in 2Q14 to 24.5% in 2Q15. Samsung came in at number two with 17.0% market share and 7.6 million units shipped. Lenovo was third with 2.5 million units shipped and 5.7% market share.

"Longer life cycles, increased competition from other categories such as larger smartphones, combined with the fact that end users can install the latest operating systems on their older tablets has stifled the initial enthusiasm for these devices in the consumer market," said Jitesh Ubrani, Senior Research Analyst, Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers. "But with newer form factors like 2-in-1s, and added productivity-enabling features like those highlighted in iOS9, vendors should be able to bring new vitality to a market that has lost its momentum."

Take a look at the chart below for more details...

Worldwide Tablet Market Declines 7%, iPad Market Share Falls Below 25% [Chart]

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yas9in - July 30, 2015 at 5:28am

I've had my iPad 3 for over two years now and I just can't see a reason for buying a new one. I owned the first-gen iPad and the iPad 2 as I was used to buying every new version every year but I guess that's a strategy best kept to the iPhone. I'm not even convinced I'll want to upgrade my apple watch when the new one comes out. I guess this is where the tech bubble is bound to burst. when everyone in the world capable of owning smartphones and tablets owns one and tech companies really just can't offer any worthwhile upgrades (especially apple who really don't change much between products), people will just stop upgrading every year or every two years and this will stop the growth. Apple just can't keep growing and growing forever on just the iPhone and iPad, and they seem to know that as indicated by the fact that they're looking to make a car. Imagine if apple had stuck to the iPod all these years. it's likely they would've been where Nokia or BlackBerry are today.

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gamerscul9870 - July 30, 2015 at 11:01pm

Not even close to where be or Nokia would have been let along how much effort would be put into iPod if they stuck with it. If iPod wasn't simple, secure, or have that much in it, Apple would have ended with them. Except they don't need to die compared to the other 2.

Za - July 29, 2015 at 3:37pm

I have an iPad 2, and an iPad Air2. Both still work, I use both, I don't need to buy any more. There isn't a compelling reason to buy any more. The increase in the "other" category is going to be the incredibly cheap rip-off units. That's not market share that Apple or Samsung is ever going to get. The price point is wrong. I don't see tablet sales going down the toilet. They just don't need replacement as often. I've tried some of the knockoff cheapie tablets. Ugh. They're horrible. Apple and Samsung won't produce products cheap enough to capture those customers.

Carlos Alberto Santos - July 29, 2015 at 6:18pm

Not everything in the "Other" category are cheap poor quality tablets. The quite decent Amazon Fire tablets are in that category.

gamerscul9870 - July 30, 2015 at 1:29am

I remember my first time with a Samsung tablet just because my dad got it with the prize he was trying to win besides it. Never again am I using a cheaply made tablet again. It's a long pain in the ass story that I wish I could forget.