Apple lost its top spot to Huawei in the Chinese tablet market in the first quarter of 2020 as the health crisis battered local sales, according to a new report today (via South China Morning Post).

ipad china 2019
China's tablet shipments plunged 30 per cent in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, based on data from research firm IDC. Huawei was the only brand to see positive year-on-year growth, up 4.3 per cent in the quarter ended March 31 to 1.5 million units.

The Chinese electronics giant's success saw it topple Apple as the top tablet brand for the quarter, with a 40.2 percent share of China's market compared to 31.5 percent for Apple.

Xiaomi, Microsoft and Lenovo all saw their sales slump in the same quarter, according to IDC, accounting for 5.5 percent, 3.2 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively.

In March, Nikkei reported that iPad stocks were running low in China because parents were buying them to help with e-learning at home in response to school closures. Local labor shortages had also reportedly seen suppliers struggle to meet production demands, amid government-imposed lockdown restrictions.

Typically that would be positive news for Apple, but with suppliers severely affected by the global health crisis, the company was unable to keep ‌‌iPad‌‌ stocks plentiful to meet the increased demand.

Tags: China, IDC

Top Rated Comments

KidAKidB Avatar
64 months ago

The creepiest thing on earth is to carry and communicate on any device manufactured by Huawei...
If this is the creepiest thing on earth, then you live a very privileged life.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
64 months ago

The CEO of Huawei has stated publicly that hey get their rip-off designs (err, I mean ‘inspiration’) from Apple. Huawei, the cheap rip-off imitation of an American designed and engineered product.
Steve Jobs: "Picasso had a saying -- 'good artists copy; great artists steal' -- and we have always been shameless about stealing great ideas."
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jjudson Avatar
64 months ago
The creepiest thing on earth is to carry and communicate on any device manufactured by Huawei...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lkrupp Avatar
64 months ago

So they chose to settle for a vastly inferior product...
The CEO of Huawei has stated publicly that hey get their rip-off designs (err, I mean ‘inspiration’) from Apple. Huawei, the cheap rip-off imitation of an American designed and engineered product.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
64 months ago
So to me, it seems, the article left a question as to whether the fall to second place for Apple was a result of preference or inventory.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bustycat Avatar
64 months ago
Huawei is marketed as a national brand and people in China are brainwashed to buy those brands to support China.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update. Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key...
tvOS 18 Thumb 1

Apple Releases tvOS 18.4.1

Wednesday April 16, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.4.1, a minor update to the tvOS 18 operating system that came out last September. tvOS 18.4.1 comes two weeks after Apple released tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.4.1 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software....
iPhone Security Feature 25

Five iPhone Security Features You Should Be Using

Wednesday April 16, 2025 4:15 pm PDT by
Apple has quite a few security features that it's added to iPhones, iPads, and Macs over the years. Now more than ever, it's important to make sure you're taking advantage of the built-in security tools that are available to keep yourself and your data safe, so we've rounded up a list of the most important options. If you don't already have these enabled, you might want to consider turning...
vision air cable

Images of Apple 'Vision Air' Power Cable Emerge Online

Thursday April 17, 2025 5:55 am PDT by
More images of a redesigned power cable allegedly for a future Apple "Vision Air" headset were today shared online by the prototype collector and leaker known as "Kosutami." Yesterday, the leaker explained that the Apple "Vision Air" will feature a thinner design and switch the battery enclosure and several of its internal structures to titanium to reduce the device's overall weight. Most of ...