As much as the smartphone market is interesting, the tablets market is even more interesting. This ranges from predictions of massive growth to analysts reports of plateauing to other reports of growth. All the while the market leaders losing pace while everyone else gaining in share.
Apple has been the big guy for the longest time, with Samsung hot on it’s heels, unlike with Smartphones where it’s the opposite. IDC reports that tablets shipments for third quarter of 2014 were higher than same quarter last year with 53.8 million shipment units and 48.3 million units respectively. This represents an 11.5% year over year growth ans also an 11.2% growth from quarter 2 of this year.
Both Apple and Samsung experienced a marketshare drop of 29.2% to 22.8% year on year for Apple and 19.3% to 18.3% for Samsung. This does not necessarily mean the same for units shipments for the two as Apple dropped in shipments while Samsung increased. Apple sold 12.3 million tablets in Q3 2014 compared to 14.1 million same quarter last year, Samsung sold 9.9 million and 9.3 million respectively.
Top Five Tablet Vendors, Shipments, Market Share, and Year-Over-Year Growth, Third Quarter 2014 (Preliminary Results, Shipments in millions)
| Vendor |
3Q14 Unit Shipments |
3Q14 Market Share |
3Q13 Unit Shipments |
3Q13 Market Share |
Year-over-Year Growth |
| 1. Apple |
12.3 |
22.8% |
14.1 |
29.2% |
-12.8% |
| 2. Samsung |
9.9 |
18.3% |
9.3 |
19.3% |
5.6% |
| 3. ASUS |
3.5 |
6.5% |
3.6 |
7.4% |
-0.9% |
| 4. Lenovo |
3.0 |
5.7% |
2.3 |
4.8% |
30.6% |
| 5. RCA |
2.6 |
4.9% |
0.9 |
1.8% |
194.0% |
| Others |
22.5 |
41.8% |
18.1 |
37.4% |
24.4% |
| Total |
53.8 |
100.0% |
48.3 |
100.0% |
11.5% |
Asus saw a year on year drop as seen on the chart below while Lenovo saw growth in both shipments and sales. The other vendors together experienced growth though so tiny individually to make warrant IDC attention. Asus growth is attributed to Windows 2-in-1 devices and this saw the Taiwanese company trade places for the number 3 spot with Lenovo from last year. Samsung is experiencing growth in North America, Middle East and Africa while Apple has not exactly wowed consumers with the new tablet offering, considering their venture into the phablets world.
