Apple has strengthened its position in the tablet market

Counterpoint Technology Market Research reports a decrease in demand for tablet computers in the global market. The reason is the saturation of the industry, the current geopolitical situation and high inflation. It is estimated that in the first quarter of this year, shipments of tablets on a global scale amounted to 39.4 million units. This is 9% less than in the last quarter of 2021, when shipments were 43.3 million units.

“With numerous supply chain issues and disruptions affecting worldwide tablet shipments since Q1 2021, the market shares have shifted. Android tablets sales still lead the market, but the gap with Apple’s iOS is closing. Due to the tablet market reaching saturation, and newer volume-driving regions facing inflationary pressures and macro uncertainty; shipments by OS are reflecting this change. According to Counterpoint Research’s Tablet Market Tracker, global tablet shipments in  Q1 2022 contracted by 9% QoQ”.

In the total mass of gadgets sold in three months, Android models accounted for 21.9 million units. Another 14.8 million units were iPads based on iOS. In addition, approximately 2.3 million Windows devices were sold.

Android Tablet Shipments Fall Behind iOS in Q1 22

“Despite the launch of new devices and Samsung’s growth in the quarter, Android OS tablets as a whole have declined significantly reaching their lowest shipments in almost two years. With a QoQ decrease of 14%, Android OS accounts for approximately 90% of shipment losses in Q1 2022. Android serves as the base OS for a diverse set of brands including Lenovo, Asus, Acer, and Dell, which all saw notable decreases in the quarter”.

The share of Android-based tablets dropped from 59% to 56% quarter-on-quarter. Apple is strengthening its position against the backdrop of a general drop in sales: its result was 38% against 34% in the last quarter of last year. The share of Windows gadgets has not changed, remaining at the level of 6%.

Apparently, in the second half of the year, the demand for tablet computers will continue to decline.