According to data from the International Data Corp. (IDC), tablet shipments increased by 22.1% year-over-year, reaching 34.4 million units in the second quarter of 2024 (2Q24). This indicates that the industry has moved past the pandemic-driven surge in demand.
This growth is driven by several factors, including product refreshes from major vendors, a replacement cycle, and inventory replenishment. While the numbers show a positive trend, the shipment volumes are comparable only to pre-pandemic levels, a stark contrast to the extraordinary sales observed during the height of the pandemic.
The 2Q24 results closely align with those from 2Q19, when 32.5 million units were shipped. This period benefited from a product refresh by Apple and the rising popularity of detachable tablets from Samsung and Huawei.
Vendors highlights
In Q2 2024, Apple led the tablet market with 12.3 million units shipped, marking an 18.2% year-over-year growth, driven by new iPad models. However, Apple faced challenges in China due to local competition. Samsung ranked second, shipping 6.9 million units with 18.6% growth, despite no major product launches. Lenovo, in third place, saw a 16.7% growth, particularly in detachable tablets. Huawei, in fourth, achieved a 40.3% increase, aided by strong sales of its new MatePad 11.5S. Xiaomi, in fifth, grew 94.7%, expanding significantly in Europe.
The growth in 2Q24 indicates that the tablet market has largely moved beyond the effects of the pandemic.
“Long-term gains for the market depend on the vendors’ ability to build devices that can carve a niche for tablets – one that includes innovation and differentiation,” said Anuroopa Nataraj, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers.
He noted that the ongoing refresh cycle and growth in emerging markets are expected to support continued recovery in the near term. While new market entrants focus on global expansion, established leaders are honing their strategies by improving technology, catering to demand for premium devices, and integrating emerging technologies such as AI.