Apple And Samsung See Tablet Market Share Slip

When it comes to tablets, it is safe to say that Apple is still leading the way. However if the recent numbers from the IDC are any indication, it looks like Apple is slowly starting to lose its market share. According to the latest figures, Apple’s Q3 2014 market share for tablets is sitting at 22.8% which still puts them in the lead.

However it is also down from last year where it was sitting at 29.2%. Samsung is a close second at 18.3% although this too is down from last year’s 19.3%, albeit it isn’t as big a drop compared to Apple. ASUS has also experienced a slight dip from 7.4% to 6.5%, but interesting enough Lenovo and RCA are the only companies to have experienced a slight growth, although they are still far from overtaking Apple or Samsung.

In terms of shipping, Samsung, Lenovo, and RCA have increased the amount of tablets shipped. Apple and ASUS have actually decreased it. Apple decreased their tablet shipments from 14.1 million to 12.3 million, while ASUS decreased their shipments from 3.6 million to 3.5 million. It seems that Apple has anticipated the decline as they noted that the iPad’s lifecycle is extending.

According to Jean Philippe Bouchard, IDC Research Director for Tablets, “Not only is the US market one of the largest for tablets, but third quarter results also indicate that this is where the growth is. We saw Verizon continuing to sell connected tablets at a fast pace, a strategy that we believe other carriers will replicate in following quarters.”

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Tablets
Tags: Samsung