Apple Leads Tablet Market in Q1 2021, Basic iPad Models Bestsellers: Report

Research firm Counterpoint has released its global tablet market share for the first quarter of 2021 and tablet shipments were up 53 percent compared to the same quarter last year. In 2020, the global tablet market grew by 19 percent compared to the previous year, mainly due to the digital push during the pandemic. The global tablet market saw a big revival after a long slump due to the increasing demand for large-screen devices spurred by remote work, online education, and extended stay-at-home orders.

Counterpoint says that while the tablet market grew 53 percent globally, it came down by 22 percent from last quarter. The last three months of 2020 saw significant numbers according to Counterpoint, and it says that the tablet market reached a five year high during that period. The January-March period is said to be off season for tablets, but in 2021 it still recorded strong numbers.

Apple raked in 37 percent of the market share in the first three months of 2021, as compared to the 30 percent market share in the previous quarter. Samsung gauged 20 percent global tablet share compared to last year's 16 percent. Lenovo and Amazon both sliced a 9 percent share in the same period, according to Counterpoint. Huawei's year-over-year tablet market share for the quarter declined from 11 percent in 2020 to 5 percent in 2021.

Apple reportedly sold 33 percent more iPad units worldwide in 2020 than in 2019 with improved performance in all major regions, particularly in Japan. Senior Analyst Liz Lee said, “The basic iPad models accounted for 56 percent of the overall iPad shipments in Q1 2021. The iPad Air and iPad Pro series came next with 19 percent and 18 percent shares, respectively. Since consumers are constantly concerned about prices and portability, the latest iPad 8 emerged as the top-selling model. Launched in October 2020, the iPad Air 4 ranked second on the bestseller list as it was a huge hit with consumers looking for cost-effectiveness as well as high specifications.”

Counterpoint says that the latest iPad Pro with the M1 chip will see shipments soar in the third quarter, and the growth will be maintained in the next quarter as well.