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In brief: Another hardware industry has rebounded following the economically challenging previous few years. Tablet shipments, which experienced a nearly 20% decline early in 2023, saw record year-over-year growth in the most recent quarter. Apple remained the top global vendor, while Chinese brands Huawei and Xiaomi experienced massive yearly increases.
Worldwide tablet shipments reached 34.4 million in Q2 2024, up from 28.2 million during the same period a year earlier. That marks a record yearly growth rate of 34.4%, according to IDC.
The analyst firm attributes the excellent quarter to product refreshes, a replacement cycle, and inventory replenishment. Apple was a big factor here, having launched its first iPad with an OLED display and the all-new M4 chip in May. It also announced a new iPad Air that features the M2 chip and, for the first time, is available in a 13-inch form factor. You can read our examination of that excellent tablet right here.
While the overall tablet shipment numbers were the highest we've seen in a while, they can't compete with the enormous figures from the pandemic – many industries exploded at the time as most of the world was locked indoors. However, IDC points out that the tablet volumes are comparable to pre-pandemic levels: 32.5 million units were shipped in Q2 2019.
As always, Apple remains the top tablet vendor thanks to the 12.3 million iPad shipments in Q2 2024. The new iPad Pro and Air models helped its yearly growth reach 18.2% as it holds on to a massive 35.8% of the market.
Rival Samsung holds the second place with 6.9 million units shipped, capturing a 20.1% share of the market. The Galaxy Tab S10 series, featuring the Galaxy Tab S10, Galaxy Tab S10+, and Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, is expected to launch later this year. This new lineup should help boost Samsung's shipment numbers.
| Company | 2Q24 Unit Shipments | 2Q24 Market Share | 2Q23 Unit Shipments | 2Q23 Market Share | Year-Over-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Apple | 12.3 | 35.8% | 10.4 | 37.0% | 18.2% |
| 2. Samsung | 6.9 | 20.1% | 5.8 | 20.6% | 18.6% |
| 3. Lenovo | 2.5 | 7.3% | 2.1 | 7.6% | 16.7% |
| 4. Huawei | 2.3 | 6.8% | 1.7 | 5.9% | 40.3% |
| 5. Xiaomi | 2.0 | 5.8% | 1.0 | 3.7% | 94.7% |
| Others | 8.4 | 24.3% | 7.1 | 25.2% | 17.6% |
| Total | 34.4 | 100.0% | 28.2 | 100.0% | 22.1% |
Fourth place Huawei saw a massive 40.3% annual growth rate. The sanctioned firm recently introduced the MatePad 11.5S, which has performed excellently in China.
The biggest yearly growth belonged to Xiaomi. Its shipments were up 94.7% during the second quarter, aided by significant gains in Russia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and other countries.
"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.
Thinking about getting a new tablet? Make sure to check out our Best Tablets of 2024 guide to see our top picks.