iPad Market Share Falls Below 25% as Tablet Market Continues to Decline

The latest numbers from market research firm IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker show that Apple remains the largest vendor in a declining tablet market, shipping 10.9 million iPads in the second quarter of 2015. While the iPad continues to be the best-selling tablet, its worldwide market share fell below 25% as Apple faced increased competition from low-cost rivals Lenovo, Huawei and LG.

idc_tablet_trend_2q15
Samsung continued to be the second largest tablet vendor with 7.6 million tablets shipped in the second quarter and 17% market share, a 12% year-over-year unit decline. Lenovo, Huawei and LG Electronics rounded off the top five, with 2.5 million, 1.6 million and 1.6 million global tablet shipments in the second quarter respectively. All other tablet vendors had a combined 45.6% market share.

IDC Q215 Tablets
iPad sales have declined for six consecutive quarters year-over-year in what has become a stagnated tablet market over the past few years, but that trend could be broken in a few months as Apple is expected to release up to three new iPads in time for the holiday shopping season: iPad Air 3, iPad mini 4 and the much-rumored 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" targeted at professional and enterprise users.

Related Roundups: iPad, iPad mini
Related Forum: iPad

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Top Rated Comments

CEmajr Avatar
127 months ago
I think we're coming to see that tablets are a lot like PCs in regards to how often they will be upgraded by users. They had the large initial boom of sales to get them into the market, now people are just keeping what they have since it's good enough. The iPad 2 still gets the job done for most people and most businesses who purchase them in bulk are also still using iPad 2s. No reason to get a newer model.

In fact I think tablets will be upgraded even less often than PCs going forward as they are the least essential device between computers, smartphones, and tablets.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
quackers82 Avatar
127 months ago
They still sold 10.9 million iPads in the space of 3 months. Thats not to be sniffed at.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
white4s Avatar
127 months ago
i thought tablets were the future and would replace laptops?

lol mo-rons
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacsRgr8 Avatar
127 months ago
I don't think releasing an iPad-speed bump will increase marketshare a lot.
The iPad Air 2 is IMHO the best update to date, but that didn't really help improve marketshare.

It's time for a "different" iPad... something more than just a blown-up iPod Touch.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
martygras9 Avatar
127 months ago
I stopped using my iPad when I got my iPhone 6 Plus. My guess is that's the direction personal computing will head. Your phone will be the hub. It'll act as a mobile device when on the go, but when you get home, it'll wirelessly connect to some sort of Cinema Display.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Abazigal Avatar
127 months ago
IMO, that's just what happens when the tablet market exploded too soon and OEMs flood the market with tons of cheap tablets.

I don't see this as a inherently bad thing. I still love my iPad, and get lots of use out of it, and do see myself upgrading eventually.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)