Strategy Analytics: Tablet Market Growth Hits Seven Year High at 33% but How Long Can This Last?

Samsung tablet shipments nearly doubled compared to a year ago, while Apple achieved a 19-quarter high with over 15 million iPads shipped

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A years-long strategy to transform tablets into low-cost productivity devices is finally paying off. This preparation by major vendors served critical needs in the back-to-school season, as consumers and educational institutions bought a record number of tablets to support the transition to e-learning environments, according to Strategy Analytics’ latest report. As the world approaches a second wave of infections ahead of a long, dark winter, tablets are proving to be credible mobile computing alternatives to notebooks, even as both segments are experiencing record levels of demand in 2020.

The full report from Strategy Analytics’ Connected Computing Devices (CCD) service, Preliminary Global Tablet Shipments and Market Share: Q3 2020 Results can be found here: https://www.strategyanalytics.com/access-services/devices/tablets-and-pcs/connected-computing-devices/market-data/report-detail/preliminary-global-tablet-shipments-and-market-share-q3-2020-results-301020

Eric Smith, Director – Connected Computing said, “We are potentially entering a new era of mobile computing that places a stronger emphasis on productivity in the household, boosting overall mobile computing ownership. Tablets are rightly being recognized for the productivity power they provide at a lower price point than most notebooks while doubling up on the strong entertainment and casual usage in a time when many people are consuming content at home during the pandemic. So while these incredibly high growth rates in 2020 are the result of pandemic-related lockdowns, we see this as part of a longer-term work and learn-from-home trend rather than just a blip on the radar.”

Chirag Upadhyay, Senior Research Analyst added, “The variety of Android options throughout all price tiers helped vendors reach a wide audience as low-cost options for schooling from home; even basic slate tablets are capable of many primary school workloads. Samsung, Lenovo, and Huawei experienced higher shipments and profitability during the quarter in most regions. It is important to note that these three vendors are also on the cutting edge of producing high quality Android and Chrome Detachables at prices generally lower than the iPad competition. Due to shifting Prime Day from July to October in 2020, Amazon showed a -8% year-on-year growth decline during the quarter even with nearly 5 million units shipped.”

Exhibit 1: Most Tablet Vendors Achieved High Double-Digit Growth in Q3 2020¹

Global Tablet Shipments by Vendor (Preliminary Results, Millions of Units)
Vendor	Q3 '20	Q3 '19	Quarterly Growth Y/Y
Apple	15.1	10.1	49%
Samsung	9.4	5.0	87%
Huawei	5.1	3.2	59%
Amazon	4.9	5.3	-8%
Lenovo	4.1	2.5	61%
Others	12.1	11.8	2%
Totals	50.6	38.1	33%
Global Tablet Market Share by Vendor (Preliminary Results, % of Total Shipments)
Vendor	Q3 '20		Q3 '19
Apple	29.8%		26.6%
Samsung	18.6%		13.2%
Huawei	10.1%		8.4%
Amazon	9.6%		14.0%
Lenovo	8.1%		6.7%
Others	23.8%		31.1%
Totals	100.0%		100.0%
Source: Strategy Analytics' Connected Computing Devices service

Exhibit 2: Apple iPadOS Grabbed Market Share from Android and Windows Segments¹

Global Tablet Shipments by Operating System (Preliminary Results, Millions of Units)
Operating System	Q3 '20	Q3 '19	Quarterly Growth Y/Y
Android	30.1	23.2	30%
iOS/iPadOS	15.1	10.1	49%
Windows	5.2	4.6	14%
Chrome	0.3	0.1	103%
Totals	50.6	38.1	33%
Global Tablet Market Share by Operating System (Preliminary Results, % of Total Shipments)
Operating System	Q3 '20		Q3 '19
Android	59.4%		60.9%
iOS/iPadOS	29.8%		26.6%
Windows	10.3%		12.1%
Chrome	0.5%		0.4%
Totals	100.0%		100.0%
Source: Strategy Analytics' Connected Computing Devices service

¹ All figures are rounded

Source: Strategy Analytics, Inc.

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