IDC, a tech analyst company, has updated its Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker for Q2. The key takeaway shows that while the tablet market continues to crumble – overall shipments falling 7 percent year-on-year in the second quarter – Apple remains on top. The iPad sold 10.9 million units in the second three months of 2015, representing 24.5 percent of the tablet market.
However, Apple’s tablet growth has plummeted by almost 18% year-on-year, representing the largest decline amongst the other key players in the market.
Those are Samsung, which retains the second largest market share at 17% with 7.6 million units sold, a drop of 12%. However, relatively small or newer players like Lenovo, Huawei, and LG Electronics saw positive growth. In the case of LG, as much as 246.4% – though that’s still only 3.6% of the market share.
Tablet shipments falling, but Apple still has the largest share
The report notes that the “longer life cycles” of tablets combined with fierce competition from ‘phablet’ style smartphones has “stifled the initial enthusiasm for the devices in the consumer market,” said IDC’s senior research analyst for tablets, Jitesh Ubrani.
The news is most concerning for Apple – despite one in four tablets sold being an iPad, it also received the biggest setback. However, Apple CEO Tim Cook remains optimistic. In the recent quarterly earnings calls, Cook asked investors to be calm – noting the iPad’s stoic position at the top of the market.
Furthermore, Apple is expected to release three new iPad models this year, including a long-rumored 12-inch tablet, which could very well revitalize the market, or at least provide enough of a regeneration of the iPad product line to encourage users with older iPads to upgrade.
Indeed, Ubrani agrees: “With newer form factors like 2-in-1s, and added productivity-enabling features like those highlighted in iOS 9, vendors should be able to bring new vitality to a market that has lost its momentum.”
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Tablet market falling but Apple’s #iPad remains on top: http://t.co/9HkC8nGds7 pic.twitter.com/KnMNwLyFcw
— TapSmart (@TapSmart) July 30, 2015